The past few days have been a whirlwind regarding Team India's selection for the upcoming limited-overs series against Sri Lanka. This tour holds particular importance as it marks the beginning of Gautam Gambhir's tenure as the new head coach, succeeding Rahul Dravid. Initially, it seemed that Indian batting stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli would be rested; however, they are now set to participate in the three-match ODI series in the island nation.

According to Indian Express, both Rohit and Kohli have confirmed their availability for the series. This news comes as the BCCI's senior selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, is set to convene via a Zoom call on Thursday evening to finalize the squad.

The senior duo has agreed to return despite initial reports that they will be given rest, as the Sri Lanka series will be Gambhir's first as head coach. Both Kohli and Rohit have played alongside Gambhir for the national team during the latter's playing days, too.

The report further suggests that the selection committee has decided to let Suryakumar Yadav lead the Indian T20I team for the three-match series, too. Hardik Pandya, who was India's vice-captain during the T20 World Cup, is likely to miss out on the promotion as there were reportedly concerns over his fitness.

Rohit Sharma, meanwhile, will continue to lead the Indian side in the ODI format. The upcoming series against Sri Lanka will be crucial for India as they look to build momentum and fine-tune their ODI team, with a limited number of matches in the format before next year's Champions Trophy.

SKY till 2026?

The report from Indian Express further indicates that the selection committee won't hesitate to replace Suryakumar Yadav as captain if his performance fails to meet expectations. The BCCI envisions Suryakumar leading the Indian team in the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup, which India and Sri Lanka will co-host.

In addition to this development, Riyan Parag, the young batter who made his India debut in T20Is earlier this month during the series against Zimbabwe, has kept the faith of selectors. Parag had a quiet outing with the bat in two innings, playing three matches, but did produce brilliant performances in this year's edition of the Indian Premier League, where he appeared for the Rajasthan Royals.

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