Rishabh Pant And...! Rohit Sharma To Drop These 4 IND Players For 1st ODI vs SL

Rishabh Pant might not play 1st ODI vs SL [X]Rishabh Pant might not play 1st ODI vs SL [X]

On Tuesday, India had a memorable outing on the field, defeating Sri Lanka in a thrilling super over to clinch the T20I series by three-nil. 

Led by Suryakumar Yadav, the Indian team exhibited their dominance, outclassing the Lankan Lions across all departments. 

After the T20I heroics, India are set to collide with Sri Lanka in a three-match ODI series starting this Friday. 

However, the team looks pretty much different from the T20I one, with several senior players returning to the ODI setup. 

While Rohit Sharma will lead the side, the presence of Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul certainly strengthens the Indian middle order. 

In such a scenario, a few players will likely miss out on selection for the first ODI at R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. 


IND Players Who Will Be Dropped For 1st ODI vs SL

Rishabh Pant

The swashbuckling keeper-batter recently played an impressive 49-run knock in the first T20I against Sri Lanka. 

He was rested for the third T20I and is unlikely to make it into India's playing XI for the ODI series opener in Colombo for two reasons. 

Considering they have KL Rahul as their first-choice keeper-batter, India might not be interested in fielding two wicketkeepers. 

Furthermore, Shreyas Iyer has a stunning record at number four and seems to be the frontrunner to bat at that position. 


Riyan Parag

Parag with T20I captain Suryakumar [X]Parag with T20I captain Suryakumar [X]

Young Indian cricketer Riyan Parag grabbed the limelight through his incredible all-round prowess in the recently held Sri Lanka series. 

Besides scoring crucial cameos, Parag oozed his class with the ball, scalping three wickets at an economy of 6.64. 

However, given that India have their first-choice players back, Parag won't likely play the inaugural match of the ODI series. So, he will have to wait for his ODI debut. 


Washington Sundar

The spin-bowling all-rounder from Tamil Nadu has showcased his mettle with the ball since making his T20I comeback. Sundar has been picked as Ravindra Jadeja's replacement in India's squad for Sri Lanka ODIs. 

But, unfortunately for Sundar, Axar Patel will be preferred as India's solitary spin bowling all-rounder due to his experience and reputation. 

So, unless the pitch in Colombo heavily favours spin bowling, we don't see Sundar getting an opportunity straightaway in the first game. 


Khaleel Ahmed

The promising left-arm fast bowler recently made his white-ball comeback following an impressive IPL 2024 stint with Delhi Capitals. 

However, despite hitting the right areas, Khaleel has yet to put up an eye-catching performance post-comeback. 

As India have Arshdeep Singh as their premier left-arm seamer, they will be slightly more inclined towards Harshit Rana for the third seamer's role. In this scenario, Khaleel might miss out on selection for the first ODI.