The newly-appointed head coach of the Indian cricket team, Gautam Gambhir, wants to have senior stars Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah in the squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series in Sri Lanka next month, amidst reports of them getting rest for the tour.

The media reports claimed that Kohli, Rohit, and Bumrah will be rested for the ODI series, keeping in mind the hectic schedule ahead, especially with nine Tests lined up for Team India. On the other hand, star all-rounder Hardik Pandya is expected to miss the ODI series against the Sri Lanka Cricket Team in August.

Hardik Pandya set to miss Sri Lanka ODI; Gautam Gambhir insists on Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah’s selection

According to a report in The Indian Express, Pandya is a strong candidate for India’s T20I captaincy after Rohit announced his retirement from the format last month. The report further claimed that Pandya will miss India’s ODI leg of the Sri Lanka tour for personal reasons.

The Indian cricket teams are all set to play three T20Is and three ODIs on their upcoming tour of Sri Lanka in July-August, and the BCCI and national selectors are expected to announce the squads on Tuesday, July 16. This tour will be Gambhir’s first assignment as the head coach of Team India.

Notably, Pandya last featured in an ODI against Bangladesh in October 2023 during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 in India. He had sustained an injury during the group match and was ruled out of the remainder of the tournament.

Pandya has reportedly communicated his unavailability for the upcoming ODIs to the BCCI. Pandya’s absence will present a great opportunity for Shivam Dube to establish himself as a key fast-bowling all-rounder in India’s ODI lineup if he gets selected.