(Image source: X.com)
[Saba Sports News] The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, has unveiled the 15-member squad for the upcoming five-match T20I series against Australia. Suryakumar Yadav, the number one T20I batter, has been entrusted with the captaincy for the first time, with Ruturaj Gaikwad announced as his deputy.
The series is set to kick off on November 23 in Visakhapatnam, culminating with the final match on December 3 in Bengaluru.
Jasprit Bumrah has been given a well-deserved break. Additionally, the absence of Hardik Pandya, due to a recent ankle injury sustained in the ODI World Cup 2023, has opened the door for new leadership under Suryakumar. The rest of the squad closely mirrors the line-up that participated in the series against Ireland in August.
The batting department boasts a formidable unit with Ruturaj, Suryakumar, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma and Rinku Singh. Ishan Kishan and Jitesh Sharma have been named as the wicket-keepers.
The all-rounders’ category features the trio of Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar and Axar Patel, while the bowling responsibilities will be shouldered by Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan and Mukesh Kumar.
Shreyas Iyer is in the squad for the last two T20Is and has also been named the vice-captain of the team for those matches.
The decision to omit Sanju Samson and Yuzvendra Chahal has sparked attention, leaving fans and cricket enthusiasts curious about the rationale behind these exclusions.
India squad: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Ruturaj Gaikwad (vc), Ishan Kishan, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar.