Former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) team manager Joy Bhattacharjya has shared his thoughts on the Indian squad for the upcoming white-ball series against Sri Lanka. Joy Bhattacharjya expressed his disappointment over the exclusion of wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson from the Indian ODI squad for the three-match series.
On Thursday, July 18, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the squads for the upcoming limited-overs series against Sri Lanka. The tour is Gautam Gambhir’s first assignment as the head coach of Team India. The selection received mixed reactions from former cricketers, cricket experts and fans.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma announced their retirement from T20I cricket after leading India to their second T20 World Cup win last month. They are included in the squad for the upcoming 50-overs matches. The selectors decided to give Jasprit Bumrah a rest to manage his workload after the T20 World Cup.
There is nothing to criticise about the Indian teams – Joy Bhattacharjya
Joy Bhattacharjya took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to express his views on India’s T20 and ODI squads for the tour of Sri Lanka. Bhattacharjya claimed that there are not many flaws in the Indian selections. He highlighted the clarity in the appointment of Suryakumar Yadav as captain for the shortest format.
“There is not much to criticise in the Indian selections for the T20 and ODI tours of Sri Lanka. I think the message on captaincy is clear – there are enough variables to balance out anyway without having to worry about load management as an additional factor. And hence a player for whom that is not a concern as captain,” Bhattacharjya wrote.
There is not much to criticise in the Indian selections for the T20 and ODI tours of Sri Lanka. I think the message on captaincy is clear – there are enough variables to balance anyway without having to worry about load management as an additional factor. And hence a player for…
— Joy Bhattacharjya (@joybhattacharj) July 18, 2024
Suryakumar Yadav will captain India in the three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka beginning on July 27. Shubman Gill, who previously led the team in Zimbabwe, has been appointed as vice-captain. Hardik Pandya, who served as vice-captain during the T20 World Cup, is also included in the squad for the series.
It would have been nice to see Sanju Samson – Joy Bhattacharjya
Joy Bhattacharjya expressed his concern over the exclusion of Sanju Samson despite his impressive ODI record in limited-overs. Bhattacharjya claimed that it would have been good if Samson had been given more opportunities.
“My only issue is that Sanju averages around 57 at a strike rate of almost 100 in the 16 ODIs he has played. It would have been nice to see him play there.” The former KKR team director added.
Sanju Samson scored his maiden century when he last played for India in an ODI match in December 2023. The right-handed batsman made 108 runs in 114 balls in the series decider against South Africa. He helped the Men in Blue reach a total of 296 runs. The Indian team eventually won the match by 78 runs.
Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul are included as wicket-keepers in the ODI squad. Pant made a remarkable comeback to international cricket during the 2024 T20 World Cup. However, the left-handed batsman has not played in ODIs since November 2022. Samson deserved a chance over Pant to continue in India’s ODI squad.
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