Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, the two veteran batters will boost the Indian team as they have reportedly made themselves available for the upcoming three-match ODI series in Sri Lanka. It seems like they have agreed to the request made by new head coach Gautam Gambhir.
According to reports, Gautam Gambhir had urged pacer Jasprit Bumrah, captain Rohit Sharma, and seasoned cricketer Virat Kohli to be ready for the ODI series in Sri Lanka. Three ODIs and three Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) in the 20-over format will be the first leg of India’s trip to the island nation.
The T20Is kick off the SL series on July 27. Meanwhile, the ODI series commences on August 2 and culminates on August 7 with the last ODI match.
Senior players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, and Ravindra Jadeja were rumored to be considering skipping the Sri Lankan ODI series to prolong their break following the T20 World Cup.
However, Gambhir cited that the Indian team will have a longer break of six weeks after the Sri Lanka ODIs as the next assignment for the Indian team will be hosting Bangladesh in September.
Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli agree to play in Sri Lanka ODIs; Shreyas Iyer, and Rishabh Pant return to the Indian ODI team
Since this will be Gautam Gambhir’s maiden series as a coach, the team’s senior players have granted his request to participate in the three-match ODI series.
Indian Express has recently claimed that senior batsmen Rohit and Kohli have consented to new coach Gautam Gambhir’s request to play in the three-match ODI series, which will be his debut as a coach.
While Hardik Pandya has officially notified the BCCI that he will play T20Is and forgo the ODIs due to personal reasons, Jasprit Bumrah is expected to carry on with his break. It is expected that Rishabh Pant will be part of the ODI and T20I teams.
Returning to the Indian ODI team is Shreyas Iyer, who was last seen in the ICC World Cup 50 overs squad. Iyer was singled out by the BCCI earlier in the year, and his name was taken out of the yearly contract. But he will soon earn a spot in the BCCI’s yearly contract after making a comeback to international cricket.
Also Read: Revealed: Why Gautam Gambhir Pushed Away Hardik Pandya For Suryakumar Yadav