In addition to the T20 series, the selectors have also announced the squad for the ODI series against Sri Lanka, which will take place next month.
The team will depart early next week for the tour which will mark the beginning of new head coach Gautam Gambhir’s three-year tenure.
Rohit Sharma, the current ODI skipper, and Virat Kohli have been included in the 50-over squad. Shubman Gill will continue his role as the vice-captain for the ODI series as well.
The ODI squad features two new faces in the form of Riyan Parag and Harshit Rana. Parag, who showcased his batting prowess by scoring seven half-centuries in the recently concluded Vijay Hazare Trophy, has earned his maiden call-up to the ODI team. Meanwhile, Harshit Rana, a promising fast bowler from Delhi, has also been included in the ODI squad.
Veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who stepped away from T20I cricket following India’s victorious campaign in the West Indies last month, was not included in the ODI squad. Jadeja’s retirement from the shortest format coincided with those of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
In an anticipated move, Jasprit Bumrah, who has been the spearhead of India’s pace attack for an extended period, was given a well-deserved break from the upcoming ODI series.
India will play three T20Is and as many ODIs in the series. The T20I leg of the series, which will take place in Pallekele, kicks off on July 27 and concludes on July 30. The ODIs will be played in Colombo, starting August 02.
Suryakumar, 33, has been selected as the captain for the upcoming T20 series, despite Hardik Pandya being the designated vice-captain during India’s successful campaign in the Americas.
Although Pandya, a star all-rounder, is three years younger than the dynamic batsman from Mumbai, he was not the favored choice for the captaincy role by both Ajit Agarkar, the chairman of selectors, and Gambhir.
According to reports, Pandya was informed by the team management on Tuesday that Suryakumar was being considered as a long-term captaincy option. While Pandya is expected to be part of the T20 squad, he has chosen to opt out of the ODIs due to personal reasons.
Suryakumar’s leadership credentials were on display last year when he led India to a 4-1 victory over Australia in a T20I series in November, followed by a 1-1 draw against South Africa.
Despite losing his national contract for missing domestic cricket, Shreyas Iyer has made a comeback to the ODI squad along with KL Rahul, who performed the dual role of keeper-batter during the 50-over World Cup last year at home.
Iyer captained the Kolkata Knight Riders to victory in this year’s IPL, with Gambhir serving as the team mentor.
Gambhir will take over from Rahul Dravid, whose tenure ended last month with the World Cup triumph. Despite being persuaded by Rohit, Dravid declined an extension.
As India look ahead to co-hosting the 2026 T20 World Cup with Sri Lanka, the team is focused on building a strong squad for the future.
T20I Squad: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh, Riyan Parag, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sanju Samson (WK), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Mohd. Siraj.
ODI Squad: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (WK), Rishabh Pant (WK), Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Riyan Parag, Axar Patel, Khaleel Ahmed, Harshit Rana.