Reports: Washington Sundar, Nitish Rana might earn maiden T20I call-up

What's the story?

Tamil Nadu all-rounder Washington Sundar and Mumbai Indians all-rounder Nitish Rana could earn their maiden call-up to the Indian T20I squad for the T20I series against Sri Lanka. Both players cleared the Yo-Yo test at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru.

"The selection committee is looking at a couple of bright prospects. Washington has been doing well as an off-spinning allrounder. There are a few youngsters who have been performing in the domestic circuit. But it remains to be seen whom the team management opt for this series,"a BCCI source told Cricbuzz.

In case you didn't know...

The 18-year-old from Chennai who impressed in the under-19 World Cup and last season for Rising Pune Supergiant, Washington Sundar missed out on the squad for the Australia T20I series after failing to clear the Yo-Yo test in October. However, he cleared it on Saturday and his chances of making the cut look good.

The heart of the matter

While he was used sparingly by Tamil Nadu in the Ranji Trophy, Nitish Rana impressed for Delhi, for whom he scored two centuries and half-centuries in this year's tournament. Rana was an important part of the Mumbai Indians side, who claimed the IPL title in 2017 when they sneaked home over Rising Pune Supergiant.

What's next?

India are currently playing the final Test of the three-match series against Sri Lanka. They have already announced the squad for the ODI series and the T20I squad is expected to be announced on Monday.

Author's take

The two youngsters have certainly proven themselves in the IPL and their addition will certainly add a new dimension to the Indian side. Only recently have India realised the need for specialists in both ODIs and T20Is. The addition of these two, who have proven themselves in T20s will be a step in the right direction as India look to build for the future and remain successful across all formats.