18 July,2021 09:40 AM IST | Mumbai | Rohan Koli
Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya. Pics/PTI, AFP, Getty Images
Shikhar Dhawan will be leading India for the first time in international cricket. He will look to make this occasion a memorable one by guiding India to a series win with his leadership skills. The southpaw, who was dropped from the T20I series against England earlier this year, has an opportunity to prove a point by scoring big against a depleted Sri Lankan attack.
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Prithvi Shaw was dropped from the India squad after failing in the first Test against Australia last December. He was criticised for not being able to score against the moving ball. The Mumbai lad, however, worked hard on his game and made a strong comeback by scoring record runs (827 in eight matches) in the Vijay Hazare one-day tournament earlier this year. Shaw, who is likely to open with Dhawan, has the ability to score quick and put the opposition out of the game within a span of few overs.
After toiling hard for years in domestic cricket, Suryakumar Yadav is all set to make his ODI debut. The Mumbai man got his maiden international call-up in the T20Is against England earlier this year and the right-hand batsman did not disappoint as he went on to score 89 in two innings. Suryakumar will look to carry the momentum into the ODI series and impress the national selectors to cement his spot in the playing XI.
Hardik Pandya, who was dropped from India's Test squad for the UK tour after not being in a position to bowl, will be itching to showcase his all-round skills against Sri Lanka. The right-arm pacer, who has suffered a back injury in the recent past, was seen rolling his arm over without any discomfort during practice sessions. With the bat, Pandya has an ability to smash big sixes and take the match away from the opposition.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar will be leading the pace attack in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, who are with the Test squad in England. The right-arm pacer is making a comeback in the limited overs squad after recovering from a hamstring injury, which he sustained during IPL-14. Bhuvneshwar's ability to restrict batsmen from scoring big makes him the captain's go-to man in the death overs.
