Sports Correspondent TheNewsFacts
India have announced their squad for the IDFC First Bank 5-match T20I series against Australia, which will begin from 23rd November, 2023 in Visakhapatnam.
Suryakumar Yadav, who has been in sensational form in the recent IPL and the T20 World Cup, will captain the side in the absence of Virat Kohli, who has been rested for the series.
Ruturaj Gaikwad, another rising star of Indian cricket, will be his deputy for the first three matches, while Shreyas Iyer will join the squad as vice-captain for the last two matches in Raipur and Bengaluru.
India Australia Series, Suryakumar Yadav to lead an all-new Team India
The squad features a mix of experienced and young players, with Ishan Kishan, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh and Jitesh Sharma forming the batting unit. Washington Sundar, Axar Patel and Shivam Dubey will provide the all-round options, while Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan and Mukesh Kumar will form the pace and spin attack.
The selectors have opted to rest some of the senior players like Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja, who have had a hectic schedule in the past few months.
The series will be a good opportunity for the Indian team to test their bench strength and prepare for the next year’s T20 World Cup in Australia. The hosts will face a tough challenge from the Aussies, who have also named a strong squad led by Aaron Finch.
The series will also mark the return of international cricket to India after a gap of almost two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The matches will be played in front of limited crowds and with strict bio-bubble protocols in place.
