Reports suggest that Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are unlikely to participate in India's upcoming ODI series against Sri Lanka. Instead, it is believed that Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul are the top contenders to lead the team in their absence.
It has been rumoured that the return of Kohli and Sharma, who recently won the ICC T20 World Cup together, has been postponed. With Gautam Gambhir set to take over from Rahul Dravid as the new head coach, the decision to appoint either Hardik Pandya or KL Rahul as the captain for the Sri Lanka series is under consideration.
Rohit Sharma, who has not taken a break from international cricket for almost six months, has been a key player for India in various series. Following his successful stint as a T20I captain, leading India to victory over England in a Test series, and winning the T20 World Cup, Sharma and Kohli have stepped down from T20I cricket but will continue to play in other formats.
According to a source from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), both Kohli and Sharma will prioritise Test cricket in the upcoming months, with India scheduled to play 10 Test matches between September and January. BCCI secretary Jay Shah has already confirmed Rohit Sharma as the captain for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy and the ongoing World Test Championship.
With Rohit likely to be rested for the Sri Lanka series, the responsibility of leading the Indian team is expected to fall on Hardik Pandya, while KL Rahul is also being considered as a potential captaincy option. Sri Lanka is set to visit India for a series of T20Is and ODIs starting later this month, with the three-match ODI series scheduled to start in August.