Why Pant and Bumrah have been left out of T20I, ODI squads, Reason Revealed

Jasprit Bumrah. (Source: Twitter)

Wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant and pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah were the notable absentees from both the ODI and the T20I squads for the upcoming white-ball matches against Sri Lanka. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the squads on Tuesday.

BCCI didn't reveal the reason behind not picking both players but the latest report of ESPN Cricinfo suggests that Rishabh Pant has been advised to head to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) for the strength and conditioning program.

The report also suggests that Jasprit Bumrah is fit and was available for selection for the Sri Lanka series, but the board decided against his selection. 

Along similar lines spin bowling all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who was earlier named in the squad for the Bangladesh tour, is still out of the international scene. The board wants to see him in a match simulation just to be sure of his match fitness ahead of the Australia series.

It is being learned that Pant, Bumrah, and Jadeja have been rested to keep them fit and ready for the all-important Test series against Australia. When the squads were announced, it was assumed that Pant has been dropped from the team.

Premier all-rounder Hardik Pandya has been appointed as India's T20I captain for the upcoming three-match series against Sri Lanka with Rohit Sharma returning as the captain in the ODI series. 

Pandya's elevation is a significant one as he has also been appointed as Rohit's deputy for the ODIs against Sri Lanka while Suryakumar Yadav is now the new vice-captain of the T20I team.

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