Why is Rishabh Pant not a part of India's squads for Sri Lanka series?

Team India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has reportedly been left out of the upcoming white-ball series against Sri Lanka due to a knee injury. Pant, who was last seen in action in the two-match Test series in Bangladesh, has not been included in any of the two squads announced on Tuesday, December 27.

The Men in Blue will lock horns with the Lankans in three T20Is, starting on January 3, followed by as many ODIs.

Pant has reportedly picked up a knee niggle and will miss out on the limited-overs series against Sri Lanka. He has been asked to report to the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru next week for further rehabilitation. The southpaw is likely to remain there for the next few weeks and undergo strengthening sessions.

Ishan Kishan has been picked as the sole wicketkeeper-batter in India's T20I side, led by Hardik Pandya. The Jharkhand-born cricketer, meanwhile, is the second-choice keeper for the 50-over format after KL Rahul.

Ishan recently grabbed the limelight with a blistering double hundred in the third ODI between India and Bangladesh. He broke a plethora of records with the knock that also put him in the fray for the ODI World Cup squad. The ICC event will take place in India next year.

KL Rahul, meanwhile, has lost his vice-captain status. Hardik, who is seen as a future leader, has been elevated as Rohit Sharma's deputy for the upcoming ODI series.

The T20Is will be played in Mumbai, Pune, and Rajkot on January 3, 5, and 7, respectively. The ODI series, on the other hand, will kick off in Guwahati on January 10, followed by games in Kolkata and Trivandrum on January 12 and 15, respectively.

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India's ODI and T20I squads for Sri Lanka series

ODI squad: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Hardik Pandya (VC), Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umran Malik, and Arshdeep Singh.

T20I squad: Hardik Pandya (Captain), Ishan Kishan (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (VC), Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Sanju Samson, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Harshal Patel, Umran Malik, Shivam Mavi, and Mukesh Kumar.

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