3 takeaways from Team India's ODI squad for Sri Lanka series

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday, December 27, announced Team India's squads for the home white-ball series against Sri Lanka. The series against the Lankans will be the Men in Blue’s first assignment of the New Year as they look to put behind a disappointing 2022.

While Hardik Pandya has been named the leader of the T20I squad, Rohit Sharma remains the captain of the ODI team. There is no place for veteran Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan in the 16-member ODI squad. Keeper-batter Sanju Samson has been named in the T20I squad, but not in the ODI team.

KL Rahul, who is also not part of the T20I team, has been picked for the ODI series against Sri Lanka. The three-match ODI series will be played from January 10 to 15, following the conclusion of the T20Is.

Here’s a look at three key takeaways from Team India's squad named for the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka.

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#1 End of the road for Shikhar Dhawan?

Veteran opener Shikhar Dhawan has been axed for the Sri Lanka one-dayers. Pic: Getty Images

It was a decision one could see coming. Dhawan hasn’t looked anywhere near his best over the last few months. Simultaneously, youngsters like Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan have grabbed their chances and made life extremely difficult for Dhawan.

If we look at the left-handed batter's record in ODIs in 2022, he has scored 688 runs in 22 matches at an average of 34.40 with the help of six half-centuries. The numbers are not great, but they are not pathetic either. But the biggest problem has been his strike rate this year - 74.21 - which is completely unacceptable in modern-day ODI cricket.

During the ODI series in Bangladesh, the seasoned Team India opener looked like a pale shadow of his original self. He managed poor scores of seven, eight, and three in three innings. Once Ishan Kishan scored the fastest double ton in the third ODI, Dhawan’s days as an international cricketer seemed numbered.

At 37, an international comeback for Dhawan seems very slim. He may possess an exceptional record in white-ball ICC tournaments. But as of now, it seems that either Gill or Kishan could be backed as Rohit’s opening partner at the 2023 World Cup on home soil.

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#2 Rohit Sharma to remain captain in ODIs?

Rohit Sharma has been retained as captain for the ODIs against Sri Lanka. Pic: Getty Images

Ahead of the team's announcement for the white-ball series against Sri Lanka at home, there were multiple media reports that Hardik would be named Team India’s white-ball captain.

A number of experts had also predicted that the all-rounder is likely to lead the Men in Blue in the ODI World Cup next year. That could still be the case, but as of now, the selectors have retained Rohit as the ODI captain for the Sri Lanka series.

Ever since taking over as captain, Rohit has struggled with the willow across all formats. As such, some cricket pundits reckoned that relieving Rohit of white-ball captaincy could help him focus harder on his batting.

As it is, he has had multiple battles with injuries and fitness issues as well over the last year. He may be a full-time captain, but he has spent more time off the field than on it lately.

There is another side to the debate, though. Hardik himself is not the fittest cricketer around. Hence, he needs to be handled with care. As such, there could be multiple instances of the all-rounder being rested to preserve him for big challenges.

Having a skipper who is not a constant part of the team is not ideal. This could be one of the reasons why selectors might be skeptical of handing the reins to Hardik in multiple formats.

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#3 Mohammed Shami is still in India's ODI plans

Mohammed Shami has been in and out of Team India's white-ball squads. Pic: Getty Images

Veteran Team India pacer Mohammed Shami, who missed the Bangladesh tour due to a shoulder injury, is also a part of the ODI squad. His inclusion is a somewhat curious case. There has been no consistency in the fast bowler’s selection in white-ball formats. And the trend continues.

The 32-year-old was a regular member of the ODI squad until 2020. However, he did not play any ODI games for Team India from November 2020 until July 2022, when he was recalled for the 50-over series in England.

The right-arm pacer played three matches in which he claimed four wickets. Having recovered from his latest injury, he is now back in the ODI squad, but there is no guarantee for how long.

Shami’s T20I career has had a similar stop-start journey. He was dropped after the 2021 T20 World Cup but made a comeback for the 2022 edition as a replacement for Jasprit Bumrah.

Will he play another T20I? Even the selectors might not have the answer. For now, though, we can assume that Shami is at least in Team India’s ODI plans.

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