India’s tour of Sri Lanka is going to be a tour to watch out for this season. This is largely due to two factors: Gautam Gambhir‘s debut as the head coach and the dawn of a new era in India’s white-ball cricket post their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 triumph.
The tour begins from 27th of July, 2024 with the 1st T20I at Pallekele. However, there are some major questions which need to be answered as the tour progresses.
Will Suryakumar Yadav Rise to the Captaincy Challenge?
Suryakumar Yadav, taking the helm as India’s T20I captain, is at the center of this new beginning. In 2015, his initial stint as captain ended controversially when he relinquished leadership of his domestic side following complaints about his on-field and dressing-room conduct. Fast forward nearly a decade, Suryakumar has evolved into a more composed and mature player, becoming one of T20 cricket’s greats.
| INDIA vs SRI LANKA T20Is- HEAD-TO-HEAD | ||
| DATE | MATCH RESULT | VENUE |
| 07th Jan, 2023 | India won by 91 runs | Rajkot (IND) |
| 05th Jan, 2023 | Sri Lanka won by 16 runs | Pune (IND) |
| 03rd Jan, 2023 | India won by 2 runs | Mumbai (IND) |
| 06th Sep, 2022 | Sri Lanka won by 6 wickets (with 1 ball remaining) | Dubai (UAE) |
| 27th Feb, 2022 | India won by 6 wickets (with 19 balls remaining) | Dharamshala (IND) |
Gambhir and the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee have expressed confidence in Suryakumar’s leadership qualities, which they observed during his vice-captaincy tenure at Kolkata Knight Riders. His recent captaincy in seven matches, filling in for the rested Rohit Sharma and injured Hardik Pandya, has shown promise. His performance in the 4-1 series win over Australia and a commendable 1-1 draw in South Africa shows his leadership capability.
However, Suryakumar’s appointment might stir some undercurrents, given that he will be leading Hardik Pandya, who captains him at Mumbai Indians and was once seen as the likely future T20I captain.
Who Will Emerge as India’s T20I Finisher?
The retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have literally left a road to be filled at the top of the order, likely to be filled by Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal, with Rishabh Pant at No. 3 and Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya anchoring the middle order.
This configuration leaves a spot for a finisher, with Sanju Samson, Riyan Parag, Rinku Singh and Shivam Dube in contention. Gambhir’s preference for allrounders, demonstrated during his tenure at Lucknow Super Giants with players like Deepak Hooda, Marcus Stoinis, and Krunal Pandya, might favor Dube and Parag. However, Rinku Singh’s impressive track record could make him a strong contender.
With new leadership and rising stars set to answer a lot of questions, India’s tour of Sri Lanka surely is going to be a ‘Gambhir Maamla’ to watch out for.
The Sportz Planet Desk,
Atharva Shetye
