Mumbai: On Saturday, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced that Rohit Sharma will be India’s new Test captain. Jasprit Bumrah will be India’s vice captain against Sri Lanka. He will also be the deputy in the T20 matches.
The first Test against Sri Lanka will start on March 4 in Mohali and the second Test will be a day-night affair in Bengaluru from March 12 onwards. The All-India Senior Selection Committee has picked an 18-member squad for the upcoming Paytm T20I and Test series against Sri Lanka.
Rohit Sharma was also appointed as a full-time T20I and ODI skipper. Last month, Rohit Sharma was named the ODI captain following the resignation of Virat Kohli.
“The selection committee thought a lot before making the decision. We spoke to them earlier. We told them we will not consider them for 2 Test matches for Sri Lanka. We told them the doors are absolutely open for them. In just 2 Test matches, selectors decided to give chances to other cricketers. They are playing Ranji Trophy,” Chetan Sharma told to India Today.
Rishabh Pant will miss the entire Test series against Sri Lanka as he has opted for a bio-bubble break, which has been granted by the BCCI. Even Virat Kohli has been given permission for the bio-bubble break but will return for the Test series. Ishan Kishan named wicket-keepers of the team in the absence of regular keeper Rishabh Pant.
Also read: Rishabh Pant named India vice-captain for West Indies T20 series
Both the Indian cricketers scored very important half-centuries in the second T20 at the Eden Gardens, which helped the team to post a target of 186.
According to media reports, the BCCI has permitted the former Indian skipper Kohli a 10-day break from the team’s bio-bubble as he left for home. This is in keeping with the board’s recent policy to rest the key players to manage their workload.
T20I squad: Rohit Sharma (C), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, Surya Kumar Yadav, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan (wk), Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Deepak Hooda, R Jadeja, Y Chahal, R Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Jasprit Bumrah(VC), Avesh Khan
