India will face Sri Lanka in a three-match One-Day International series beginning January 10. After recuperating from a finger injury, Rohit Sharma is back in charge, with Hardik Pandya as his deputy. In addition, Mohammed Shami will return to international action after recovering from a shoulder injury in the ODI series.
The Men in Blue dominated the T20I series against the Lankan Lions, winning it 2-1. Let us have a look at the players to keep an eye on as India attempts to maintain their winning streak in preparation for the 2023 World Cup.
Number 1. Yuzvendra Chahal
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Yuzvendra Chahal has a track record of success in the white-ball circuit representing India. He has played in 70 One-Day Internationals and has taken 118 wickets with an economy rate of 5.25. In T20Is, the veteran spinner has played 74 games and collected 90 wickets at an economy rate of 8.18.
In the middle stages of the innings, Chahal has been India’s striking force with the ball. However, the ace spinner has not been at his best in recent times. In the white-ball series against New Zealand, he only took two wickets and was unable to stop the run flow.
Even in the just-finished T20I series against Sri Lanka, Chahal could only capture three wickets in as many games, giving runs at a 9.55 economy rate. The leg-spinner will want to redeem himself in the ODI series, or else his spot in the team may be jeopardised.
Number 2. Umran Malik
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Umran Malik is a unique breed of Indian fast-bowler who can consistently hit speeds of above 150 kmph. He drew a lot of attention with his amazing performance for Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2022, capturing 22 scalps in 14 games.
Umran broke into the Indian white-ball set-up because of his outstanding performances. The speedster has progressed with each game and has performed well in international competitions. He has played five One-Day Internationals and taken seven wickets with a strike rate of 6.00. In T20Is, the ace bowler has taken nine wickets in six appearances for the Men in Blue.
Umran had a strong showing in the T20I series against Sri Lanka, capturing seven wickets in three games. His addition has rounded out the bowling team by adding another dimension to the speed assault. In the next ODI series against the Lankan Lions, he will want to continue his recent form and create havoc with the ball.
Number 3. Rohit Sharma
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Rohit Sharma is one of the best batsmen in Indian cricket history. He has demolished bowling attacks with his roaming bat and piled-up runs for pleasure. The 35-year-old has played 235 One-Day Internationals and scored 9454 runs with an 89.42 strike rate. In the shortest format, he has 3853 runs in 148 games with a strike rate of 139.24.
Rohit hasn’t been his usual self on the white-ball circuit recently. The Indian captain had a dreadful T20 World Cup 2022 campaign, scoring just 116 runs in six games with a strike rate of 106.42.
However, in the second match of the just concluded ODI series against Bangladesh, Rohit showed flashes of his old vintage form, hitting 51* runs off 28 deliveries. Despite the fact that the seasoned batter’s half-century came in a losing cause, he would draw comfort from it. The Nagpur native will be eager to put up a display with the bat against the Lankan Lions and claim the ODI series for himself.
