Lanka series: Pandya will lead India’s T20 side

All-rounder Hardik at home against Sri Lanka next week after selectors left several heavyweights out of the side.
Selectors have been under pressure to make wholesale changes to India’s white-ball squads after the side’s disappointing T20 World Cup semi-final defeat to England in November, AFP reported.

Sri Lanka’s tour begins with the first of three 20-over matches in Mumbai on Jan. 3 before a three-match ODI series from January 10-15.

Out-of-form wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant has been dropped from both white-ball squads.

Ageing superstars Virat Kohli, 34, and Rohit Sharma, 35, were not included for the three-match T20 series but both return for the ODI portion of the tour.

Sharma returns as 50-over captain after a thumb injury that forced him to sit out most of this month’s Bangladesh tour.

Veteran ODI opener Shikhar Dhawan, 37, who led the team for a three-match series against hosts New Zealand in December, was also dropped from the squad for up-and-coming rookies Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan.

Sri Lanka has announced a 20-man squad for the tour with all-rounder and Asia Cup-winning skipper Dasun Shanaka leading the visitors in both formats.