Gautam Gambhir to meet chief selector Ajit Agarkar: Hardik Pandya T20I captain; KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer to return for ODI.

India’s squad for Sri Lanka tour: Gautam Gambhir will meet the selectors soon. Hardik Pandya to be captain for T20Is. KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer to be back for ODIs. Newly-appointed India head coach Gautam Gambhir will meet the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee next week to pick squads for the T20I and ODI matches in Sri Lanka. India are slated to play three ODIs and as many T20Is there. The series will begin with the T20I series on July 26. With captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah on an extended rest, Hardik Pandya’s workload will determine his future outlook. If a stop-gap captain is announced, KL Rahul, who last led India in an ODI series, may captain India in the 50-over format. Whether BCCI announces Hardik as the permanent T20I captain or decides to implement the same formula after the 2022 edition of the World Cup, where Hardik captained in Rohit’s absence but was not given reigns officially, remains to be seen. The all-rounder was India’s vice-captain in the T20 World Cup and is the frontrunner to take over the T20I captaincy. The board officials and the senior members of the team are happy with Hardik’s recent performance and believe he is the right man to take the forward in the shortest format. Suryakumar Yadav is likely to be appointed as vice-captain. Barring Rohit, Kohli, Jadeja – all retired – and Bumrah, the T20 World Cup-winning squad members are likely to be retained for the Sri Lanka series. Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar and either Avesh Khan or Mukesh Kumar will find a place in the squad. Sundar is being pitted as Jadeja’s replacement in T20Is. The off-spinner has done quite well on his return to cricket in the Zimbabwe series. So have pacers Avesh and Mukesh. In Bumrah’s absence, Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh will lead India’s pace attack. Rishabh Pant’s workload may also be discussed. The left-hander has been playing nonstop cricket since IPL 2024. He is returning from a serious injury, and considering that he is the first-choice keeper in Tests, the selectors may opt to pick Sanju Samson and Dhurv Jurel as keepers for the Sri Lanka tour.