IND vs SL: Indian Cricket Team Receives Warm Welcome In Sri Lanka, Fans Thrilled- WATCH

Mumbai to Pallekele via Colombo #TeamIndia have reached Sri Lanka #SLvIND pic.twitter.com/ffDYJOV7wm

— BCCI (@BCCI) July 22, 2024

Interim assistant coach Abhishek Nayar and head coach Gautam Gambhir accompanied the team on the flight. Gambhir announced at a pre-series press conference on Monday that former Dutch international Ryan ten Doeschate will join the squad in Colombo as an additional assistant coach. India has also appointed Sairaj Bahutule as the interim bowling coach, while former South African cricketer Morne Morkel is a strong candidate for the permanent position.

Suryakumar Yadav has been named the T20I captain, with Hardik Pandya, who served as Rohit’s deputy during the triumphant T20 World Cup campaign, being overlooked for the role.

Contrary to earlier expectations that ODI and Test skipper Rohit Sharma and star batter Virat Kohli would skip the three ODIs in Sri Lanka, their likely participation suggests they plan to play in most series. Although the senior players have not yet joined the team, they are expected to arrive later.

Gambhir remarked at the press conference, “Now that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will play only two formats, I expect them to be available for most games.”

Why Suryakumar Yadav Over Hardik Pandya?

Agarkar noted that fitness issues had been a significant challenge for Pandya over the past two years. “Hardik is a very important player with skill sets that are hard to find. However, his fitness has been a recurring issue, which complicates things for both the coach and the selectors. As we look ahead to the 2026 World Cup, we wanted to explore other options. Our primary concern was finding someone who is consistently available,” Agarkar said.