Rohit Sharma has landed in Colombo, making the journey from the United States to Sri Lanka, in preparation for the imminent three-match ODI series. The Indian captain wasn’t alone, as players who were chosen exclusively for the ODIs against Sri Lanka also arrived at the ITC Ratnadipa hotel in the bustling capital on Sunday night. This select team includes stalwarts like Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Kuldeep Yadav, and Harshit Rana.
Sources within the team have disclosed that these ODI specialists are slated to participate in a net session at the local stadium on Monday. To ensure that the players are well-prepared, the Indian team management has tasked Abhishek Nayar, one of the assistant coaches working under head coach Gautam Gambhir, to supervise the session. Nayar embarked on his journey to Colombo on Monday morning, fresh off the second T20I match held the previous night.
The squad is not yet complete; other team members are scheduled to join Rohit and his peers upon the conclusion of the third and final T20I in Pallekele on July 30. This addition will occur after India clinched the three-match T20I series with an unassailable 2-0 lead.
The first ODI match kicks off on August 2 in Colombo, with all three games scheduled to be played at the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium. The series is set to wrap up on August 7, following the second ODI on August 4.
Meanwhile, in a noteworthy development, Morne Morkel is anticipated to join the Indian coaching staff as a bowling coach under Gambhir’s leadership. Morkel’s tenure with the team is expected to commence with the home series against Bangladesh, scheduled to start in September.
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Gambhir has recently stated that the team management will be evaluating the current coaching setup during this six-match series in Sri Lanka. There are plans afoot to develop a comprehensive coaching staff for future series. These plans leave Sairaj Bahutule’s fate uncertain. Bahutule, who specializes in spin bowling, is currently touring Sri Lanka as an interim bowling coach. Since Morkel is known for his expertise in fast bowling rather than spin, the team could find itself in need of a dedicated spin bowling coach.
If Bahutule manages to retain his position, the team’s staff would eventually include two assistant coaches (Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeschate), a bowling coach (Morkel), a fielding coach (T Dilip), a spin bowling coach, and, of course, the head coach Gambhir. This brings the coaching contingent to a count of six members, which some might consider too extensive.
The ODI squad for the series is as follows: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill (Vice-Captain), Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Riyan Parag, Axar Patel, Khaleel Ahmed, and Harshit Rana.
With Rohit Sharma at the helm and a stellar lineup, the Indian team looks poised for a competitive series against Sri Lanka. The upcoming matches not only serve as a battleground for cricketing supremacy but also provide a stage for the evolving internal dynamics under Gambhir’s management and the potential inclusion of Morkel in the coaching staff. This period could arguably shape the course of Indian cricket for forthcoming international encounters.