3 clear indications from India's T20I squad vs Sri Lanka ft. the Hardik Pandya captaincy arc

Team India are closing in on their next T20I assignment, which will begin on July 27 in Pallekele. The Men in Blue will face off against Sri Lanka in three matches, following their successful Zimbabwe tour.

A few of India's regulars have returned to the fold, with the BCCI announcing a strong 15-man contingent for the tour. The squad features no uncapped players, but there are many among the touring party who will want to nail down their place in the side.

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, Mohammed Siraj.

The selectors and think tank are yet to hold a press conference, and as always, we are left to draw our own inferences. On that note, here are three clear indications from India's T20I squad for the Sri Lanka series.

---

#3 India are clearly going to rest and rotate heavily during the 2-year cycle

South Africa v India: Final - ICC Men's T20 Cricket World Cup West Indies & USA 2024

In the post Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli era, India have plenty of thinking to do. Their core has lost a big chunk in the form of the two experienced batters, and while there are many capable youngsters vying for those spots, the senior members need to step up even more now.

That will be a minor challenge for the selectors. As the Sri Lanka squad indicates, players will be rested and rotated carefully over the next two years, in the lead-up to the 2026 T20 World Cup.

Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav, two of India's spearheads en route to the T20 World Cup title, are missing from the squad. Hardik Pandya is present in the T20I squad but missing from the ODI one and has also been removed from leadership duties.

In a bright sign, India seem set to manage the workloads of their star men well even with a new coaching staff and captain at the helm.

---

#2 Riyan Parag has the backing of the selectors

Riyan Parag recently made his T20I debut [Image Courtesy: BCCI on X]

Riyan Parag made his T20I debut in Zimbabwe recently. He batted just two times and couldn't make much of an impact. However, the youngster has been picked to man the middle order ahead of the likes of Ruturaj Gaikwad, Abhishek Sharma, and Ishan Kishan.

This clearly shows that the selectors believe in Parag's abilities. And rightfully so, since he's an immensely talented player. The 22-year-old has also been picked in the ODI squad, but there's no doubt he has a higher chance of nailing down his spot in the shortest format.

---

#1 Hardik Pandya, the captain, has fallen out of favor

South Africa v India: Final - ICC Men's T20 Cricket World Cup West Indies & USA 2024

Perhaps the management had an eye on his workload. Perhaps the captaincy saga with the Mumbai Indians didn't go down well with them. Whatever the reason may be, Hardik Pandya - the captain - has fallen out of favor.

Suryakumar Yadav has been announced as the skipper, with Shubman Gill, who led the Men in Blue in Zimbabwe, serving as his deputy. Hardik, who was the vice-captain for the 2024 T20 World Cup, might be wondering why the change transpired.

It's a move in the right direction, with Hardik's captaincy and surrounding controversies grabbing unnecessary attention. India need a smooth transition from Rohit, and Suryakumar's calm head should steer the ship safely.