Punjab Kings’ fast bowler Arshdeep Singh will lead the Indian cricket team’s pace attack in the upcoming limited-overs series against Sri Lanka, starting on January 3.
Arshdeep has been included in both India’s T20I and ODI squads for the home series against Sri Lanka. He will return to the white-ball set-up after being rested in the recently-concluded three-match ODI series against Bangladesh due to workload management.
The young left-arm pacer recently stole the limelight after he finished as India’s leading wicket-taker at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia. The 23-year-old bagged 10 wickets in six matches at an average of 15.60 and an economy of 7.80.
Since making his T20 international debut against England at the Rose Bowl in July, Arshdeep has been the wrecker-in-chief for the Men in Blue in cricket’s shortest format. The Madhya Pradesh-born cricketer has already scalped 33 T20I wickets in just 21 matches at an average of 18.12 and an economy of 8.17. He has also featured in three ODIs so far.
Following his dream run this year, Arshdeep has also been nominated for the ICC Men’s Emerging Cricketer of the Year 2022.
Meanwhile, captain Rohit Sharma will miss the three-match T20I series as he is yet to recover from a thumb injury. Rohit is expected to be fit before the three-match ODI series, which is scheduled to commence on January 10.
In the absence of Rohit, star all-rounder Hardik Pandya has been named the captain for the T20I series while swashbuckling in-form batter Suryakumar Yadav has been appointed Hardik’s deputy in the T20I set-up.
Uncapped Indian pacers Shivam Mavi and Mukesh Kumar have received their maiden T20I call-ups.
The first T20I of the three-match series will be played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai before action shifts to the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on January 5. The final T20I against Sri Lanka will take place at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot on January 7.
After the T20I series, the three ODIs are scheduled to be played at Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on January 10, at the Eden Gardens on January 12 before the series concludes at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on January 15.
India’s T20I squad against Sri Lanka: Hardik Pandya (captain), Suryakumar Yadav (vice-captain), Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Sanju Samson, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Harshal Patel, Umran Malik, Shivam Mavi, Mukesh Kumar
India’s ODI squad against Sri Lanka: Rohit Sharma (captain), Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wicket-keeper), Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umran Malik
