IND vs SL T20Is are slated to begin on January 3 and in a major advance, first-team players in Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Bhuvneshwar Kumar have all been rested for the tour.
Though the move has made the future unclear for Kumar and Pant (who has also been dropped), it grants the fringe players a chance to make their case for the starting eleven strong.
In this article, ST247 looks at three players who can benefit from the opportunity at hand.
1. Rahul Tripathi
The swashbuckling batsman from Maharashtra, Rahul Tripathi is due an international outing despite his undeniable impact in the recent seasons of the Indian Premier League.
Rahul scored 413 runs during 2022 IPL at an average and strike-rate of 36.55 and 158.24 respectively and thereafter, has been in the Indian T20 setup; although as a backup.
India’s adoption of the gung-ho template might be a boon to the right-hander. If he can he be as fearless and selfless during the IND vs SL T20Is as he has in the IPL, Rahul Tripathi might soon be a regular in for the Men in Blue.
2. Ruturaj Gaikwad
The Chennai Super Kings opener, unlike Rahul, has been on a lot of tours for Team India and has already represented them in 9 T20Is and 1 One Day International.
The returns have been weak thus far from Ruturaj but the absence of Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul from the IND vs SL T20Is has given him another chance to shine.
Ruturaj Gaikwad is technically astute, can play to all parts of the ground, and has a calm head over his shoulders. The batsman just needs a few good int’l outings to be a first-team regular. He’d want to make the Sri Lanka series the beginning of it.
3. Shivam Mavi
This is the first time that Mavi has been named in the Men in Blue international side across formats. Though his inclusion might come as surprise if you’re a stats geek (32 IPL matches: 30 wickets @8.70 rpo), the Noida-born has all that it takes to make a gun limited-overs bowler.
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Shivam Mavi, notably, was marred by injuries in the last couple of years but has kept himself fit in recent months. The bowler was on fire during 2022 SMAT, picking 10 wickets off seven matches.
Though he will not a regular in Indian colours anytime soon, IND vs SL T20Is are huge stage for the 24-year-old. Mavi will want to grab the chance at hand with both hands and push his name up the pecking order as India still mull their bowling unit for the 2024 T20 World Cup.
