Suryakumar Yadav will have to suppress the massive disappointment of a World Cup final defeat somewhere in the deeper confines of his heart while leading a sprightly bunch of ‘Gen-Next’ stars against a strong Australian side in a five-match T20 International series, starting here on Thursday. With just around 96 hours of turnaround time from World Cup to the next series, it hardly leaves ‘SKY’ with any chance of introspection as he gets ready to play his favourite format.Read Less BCCI Photo Suryakumar Yadav faces the daunting task of leading a vibrant group of emerging stars in a five-match T20I series against a formidable Australian side, commencing this Thursday.
Deep within, he must grapple with the lingering disappointment of a World Cup final defeat, the wounds of which require time to heal. With a mere 96 hours between the World Cup and the upcoming series, ‘SKY’ has little time for introspection as he prepares for his preferred format.
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Powered By PlayMute Fullscreen Players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh, Tilak Verma, Jitesh Sharma and Mukesh Kumar have recently debuted internationally. Their true test, however, lies against a potent Australian T20 side boasting World Cup heroes such as Travis Head, Glenn Maxwell, Adam Zampa and former skipper Steve Smith. The absence of premier pacers notwithstanding, the Australian T20 side, led by Matthew Wade, presents a formidable challenge.
This series provides a valuable opportunity to evaluate players earmarked by selectors for the T20 World Cup next year, especially in the absence of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul. Facing a challenging Australian pace attack, including Kane Richardson, Nathan Ellis, Sean Abbott and Jason Behrendorff, these young Indian talents will experience a trial by fire.
The next two months, featuring 11 T20 international games before the IPL, become pivotal for these players aiming to secure spots for the T20 World Cup. The batting order adjustment under interim coach VVS Laxman adds intrigue, particularly with the impending return of Shubman Gill. Ruturaj Gaikwad and one between Jaiswal or Ishan Kishan are likely to open, keeping the right-left combination in mind.
Suryakumar, the designated vice-captain in the absence of Hardik Pandya, is expected to bat at No. 3 or 4, contingent on the inclusion of both Jaiswal and Kishan. In contrast to the ODI team, the T20I side boasts seven left-handers, including Jaiswal, Kishan, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh and all-rounders Axar Patel, Shivam Dube and Washington Sundar.
Rinku and Jitesh are viewed as potential finishers, further diversifying the team’s strategy. The real test in this series lies with the bowlers, as Ravi Bishnoi is set to feature prominently in the absence of Yuzvendra Chahal. The rotation of Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar and Arshdeep Singh will provide a comprehensive assessment of India’s bowling resources.
Additionally, the return of Axar from injury adds strength to the bowling unit, as he is expected to feature in all five games. SQUADS India: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Ruturaj Gaikwad (vc), Ishan Kishan, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Shivam Dubey, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar, Shreyas Iyer (last two matches only)
