India is set to visit Sri Lanka for a three-match T20I series soon. The BCCI announced the Indian squad for the series last night (July 18), naming Suryakumar Yadav as the new skipper, with Shubman Gill as his deputy.
It’s interesting to note that Shubman Gill made his T20I debut in the previous T20I series against Sri Lanka, which took place in early 2023. Under the captaincy of Hardik Pandya, India secured a 2-1 victory in that series.
Although only a year and a half has passed since that series, significant changes have occurred in Indian cricket. Here are five players who were part of the Indian squad for the last T20I series against Sri Lanka but are now nowhere near the team.
#1 Umran Malik
When Umran Malik won the Emerging Player of the Season award in IPL 2022, it seemed like he was the next big thing in Indian cricket. The team management gave him multiple opportunities, but Malik struggled to cement his place.
The express fast bowler played eight T20Is, taking 11 wickets at an economy rate of 10.49. His last T20I appearance was against New Zealand on February 1, 2023.
#2 Harshal Patel
It is rare to see the Purple Cap winner of the latest IPL season not being picked even in the second-string Indian T20I squad. However, this is the case with Harshal Patel, who took the most wickets in IPL 2024.
Patel’s last T20I appearance for India came in the series against Sri Lanka, where he bowled a spell of 2/41 in four overs at the Wankhede Stadium.
#3 Rahul Tripathi
Rahul Tripathi was added to the T20I team in 2023 because of his ‘intent’ in the shortest format of the game. He made his T20I debut against Sri Lanka in Pune and played five T20Is in the next four weeks, scoring 97 runs at a strike rate of 144.78.
Despite a fantastic 44 in his previous T20I appearance for India against New Zealand, Tripathi was dropped from the squad. He also did not make it to the second-string team sent to Zimbabwe earlier this month.
#4 Deepak Hooda
After his excellent century against Ireland in 2022, Deepak Hooda was seen as a promising number three batter for India in T20Is. Unfortunately, he couldn’t maintain his performance.
Hooda played 21 T20Is, scoring 368 runs and taking six wickets. Like Rahul Tripathi, his last T20I series was against New Zealand in 2023.
#5 Shivam Mavi
Shivam Mavi made a surprising T20I debut in the previous series between India and Sri Lanka. The fast bowler justified his selection with a four-wicket haul on debut at the Wankhede Stadium.
Despite getting five more matches, where he managed only three wickets, Mavi lost his place in the squad after the T20I series against New Zealand and hasn’t returned since.
The upcoming T20I series against Sri Lanka will surely be an exciting watch, but it’s evident that the Indian cricket landscape has undergone notable changes, leaving some players behind.
