The start of one new era out of the way, a more significant new phase in Indian cricket will formally kick off on Friday, with the first of three ODIs against Sri Lanka. New head coach Gautam Gambhir renewed his association with T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav last week. On Wednesday, for the first time since his appointment, he caught up with ODI and Test captain Rohit Sharma at the R Premadasa Stadium on Wednesday evening, not long after making the three-hour drive from Pallekele.

Plenty to look forward to

As a leadership group, Rohit and Gambhir have plenty to look forward to over the next six months. A string of five home Tests against Bangladesh and New Zealand will segue into a five-match showdown in Australia, to be followed by the 50-over Champions Trophy in February-March.