5 players who should be considered for the T20I series against Sri Lanka

India's final three matches of the calendar year are the three T20Is that they play against Sri Lanka. With the South Africa tour taking place just a few weeks after that, India are expected to rest quite a few stars, especially the ones that have been playing consistently throughout the year.

Virat Kohli has been rested for the ODI series and there is a fair chance that he will be rested for the T20I series as well. With that in mind, India might decide to look at other options before announcing the T20I squad.

So here are 5 players who should be considered for the T20I series against Sri Lanka:

Washington Sundar

He was on the verge of making it to the T20I side for the series against Australia but didn't make the cut as he failed the Yo-Yo test. Having cleared the test at the National Cricket Academy on Saturday, he will be hoping to feature this time around.

The all-rounder from Tamil Nadu was in brilliant form in IPL 2017 where he came on as a replacement for Ravichandran Ashwin and was an integral part of the Rising Pune Supergiant's march to the final that they narrowly lost.

His addition will give India a lot of flexibility as he is capable of opening the innings with both bat and ball.

Krunal Pandya

If there is one name that is constantly mentioned any time an Indian T20I squad is announced, it is Krunal Pandya. The all-rounder from Baroda has seen his stock rise courtesy his performances in the IPL but still hasn't found a place in the Indian T20I squad.

While the likes of Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel and Yuzvendra Chahal have done well in the shorter formats, the addition of Krunal lends the batting plenty of depth. That he is also a brilliant option with the ball and an exceptional fielder, as he has proven on multiple occasions with Mumbai Indians only strengthens his credentials.

With one eye on South Africa, India should look to use this tour to experiment with the T20I side and Krunal is the ideal option to try out.

Siddarth Kaul

Having earned his maiden India call-up courtesy being picked in the ODI side, Siddarth Kaul will be hoping to earn his maiden T20I call-up as well. And if he does get picked, it will be a reward for consistent performances, not only in the IPL where he impressed with Sunrisers Hyderabad but also for India A and in the Ranji Trophy for Punjab.

Kaul was part of the victorious under-19 team led by Virat Kohli, which won the World Cup in 2008 by defeating South Africa. Since then, he has slowly but surely worked his way up through the ranks. Earlier this year, he earned praise from MS Dhoni, who noticed his penchant for bowling at the death despite Kaul giving away 15 runs to Dhoni.

He has 13 wickets in the three matches he has played for Punjab this season. Aside from giving limited-overs regulars Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah a break, his addition will also lend more depth to the Indian death bowling arsenal.

Sanju Samson

One of the main reasons for Kerala's surprise entry into the quarter-finals of the Ranji Trophy season has been the form of Sanju Samson. The IPL Emerging Player award winner in 2013 has been in sensational form, scoring 577 runs in this season, including two crucial centuries.

He also managed to score a century against Sri Lanka in the tour match prior to the ongoing Test series and will be looking to make his mark in T20Is two years after his debut against Zimbabwe.

Of Samson's recent performances, chief selector MSK Prasad said: "It augurs well for him and it's good for us since we will have more options to deliberate on."

Nitish Rana

Rana has been in sparkling form

With Virat Kohli likely to be rested for the T20I series, India could use an option at the top of the order. And the form that Nitish Rana is in, he could very well force his way into the Indian T20I side. An integral part of the Mumbai Indians side that won IPL 2017, the southpaw has been in brilliant form in the Ranji Trophy.

In his five Ranji Trophy matches for Delhi, the southpaw has scored two centuries and two fifties and was an integral part of Delhi's progress to the quarter-final of the ongoing season of the Ranji Trophy.

Rana's recent form and the likely vacancy at the top of the order makes him a prime candidate for the T20I squad. With the selectors seemingly looking beyond the likes of Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh, the 23-year-old could well be the future.