3 notable absentees from Team India's squad for the Sri Lanka T20I series

Modified Dec 28, 2022 16:49 IST

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently announced Team India's squad for the upcoming limited-overs assignment against Sri Lanka. A three-match T20I series will kick-start the tour, followed by three ODIs.

India are in need of some changes in the shortest format, having endured two disappointing T20 World Cup campaigns in the last two years. Hardik Pandya will lead the Men in Blue during the T20I series, with Suryakumar Yadav serving as his deputy.

India's squad for the Sri Lanka T20Is: Hardik Pandya (captain), Ishan Kishan (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (vice-captain), Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Sanju Samson, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Harshal Patel, Umran Malik, Shivam Mavi, and Mukesh Kumar.

The selectors have released no official word on superstars like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, and Jasprit Bumrah, who are not part of the squad. While the first two were probably unavailable for selection, with Rohit nursing a finger injury and Kohli having played a lot of cricket lately, the latter two have endured an enforced spell on the sidelines.

A few other big names missed out on the contingent as well. Here are three notable absentees from Team India's squad for the Sri Lanka T20I series.

Honorable Mentions: KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammad Shami, Deepak Chahar

#3 Ravi Bishnoi

Why isn't India's best T20 spinner being selected in T20I squads? Ravi Bishnoi has barely put a foot wrong since making his debut in the format, while Yuzvendra Chahal has produced miserable returns over the last three years.

However, Chahal has inexplicably been picked in most of India's T20I squads. Bishnoi, meanwhile, hasn't featured in the shortest-format game for the Men in Blue since the 2022 Asia Cup, when he returned with figures of 1/26 against Pakistan.

In 10 T20Is, Bishnoi has 16 wickets at an economy rate of 7.09 and has appeared hugely threatening. His absence from the squad is frankly astonishing, and serious questions need to be asked of the selectors.

#2 Mohammed Siraj

Just as Mohammed Siraj appeared to be finding his feet in the T20I format, the selectors decided to drop him from the squad and pick two uncapped fast bowlers - Shivam Mavi and Mukesh Kumar.

While Mavi's selection is still understandable given his excellent white-ball returns in domestic cricket and his all-round potential, Mukesh is primarily a powerplay bowler who doesn't have a proven track record in the shortest format. Siraj, meanwhile, was the Player of the Match in his last T20I, in which he scalped four wickets.

With Bumrah and Shami missing, Siraj would've added bite, aggression, and all-phase prowess to the squad. Bizarrely, though, the selectors decided to look elsewhere.

#1 Shreyas Iyer

Shreyas Iyer definitely has his limitations in T20 cricket, but he has been prolific for India in the format. In 2022, he amassed 463 runs in 17 innings at an average of 35.62 and a strike rate of 141.16.

You can't argue with numbers, and Shreyas has produced meaningful runs across formats for the Men in Blue since returning from a serious shoulder injury. He recorded four T20I fifties in the calendar year and showed incredible intent each time he was at the crease.

Shreyas, though, doesn't seem to be part of India's immediate future in T20I cricket.