India is set to visit Sri Lanka for a three-match T20I series. The BCCI announced the squad for this series last night (July 18), with Suryakumar Yadav named as the new skipper and Shubman Gill as his deputy.
It’s noteworthy that Gill made his T20I debut in the previous bilateral T20I series against Sri Lanka in early 2023, with Hardik Pandya leading the team to a 2-1 victory.
Although just a year and a half has passed since that series, much has changed in Indian cricket. Here are five players who were part of that squad but are nowhere near the team now.
#1 Umran Malik
Umran Malik seemed destined for greatness when he won the Emerging Player of the Season award in IPL 2022. The team management provided him multiple opportunities, but Malik struggled to secure his place.
Malik played eight T20Is, taking 11 wickets but at an expensive economy rate of 10.49. His last T20I appearance was against New Zealand on February 1, 2023.
#2 Harshal Patel
It’s unusual for a Purple Cap winner to not make even a second-string squad, but that’s the case with Harshal Patel, who was the highest wicket-taker in IPL 2024.
Patel’s last T20I for India was in the same series against Sri Lanka. He delivered a spell of 2/41 in four overs at Wankhede Stadium.
#3 Rahul Tripathi
Rahul Tripathi was added to the T20I team in 2023 because of his ‘intent’ in the shortest format. 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 an impressive 44 in his last T20I appearance against New Zealand, Tripathi was dropped from the squad. He didn’t even make it to the second-string team sent to Zimbabwe earlier this month.
#4 Deepak Hooda
After his brilliant century against Ireland in 2022, Deepak Hooda was expected to be India’s next number three batter in T20Is. However, he couldn’t maintain his performance.
Hooda played 21 T20Is, scoring 368 runs and picking up six wickets. Like Tripathi, his last T20I series was against New Zealand in 2023.
#5 Shivam Mavi
Shivam Mavi made a surprising T20I debut in the last series between India and Sri Lanka. He impressed with a four-wicket haul on debut at Wankhede Stadium.
The team gave him five more matches, where he managed only three wickets. Post the T20I series against New Zealand, Mavi lost his place in the squad and hasn’t returned since.
These changes in the squad reflect the evolving dynamics of Indian cricket and the fierce competition for spots in the national team. As the new series approaches, it will be interesting to see how the current squad performs and who emerges as the new stars.
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