IND vs SL: How Riyan Parag got picked in both T20I and ODI squads revealed; Tilak Varma was first choice

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IND vs SL: Even when the likes of Abhishek Sharma and Ruturaj Gaikwad got dropped from the India squad despite their good performances in Zimbabwe, Riyan Parag found place in both - the T20I as well as the ODI squad - for the Sri Lanka tour which kicks off from July 27 with the first T20I.

Riyan Parag got picked in both the India squads, even though he failed to make an impact in his two outings in Zimbabwe. Gaikwad, the second-highest run-scorer in the series, and Abhishek, who slammed a hundred in his second outing, were snubbed and there Parag's inclusion surprised many.

A report in Times of India has cleared the doubts on Thursday, July 25. As per the report, Mumbai Indians star Tilak Varma was the first choice but his injury paved the way for Riyan Parag. It added that the selectors want to nurture the 23-year-old for the future due to his all-round abilities.

"Parag is highly talented and has improved his attitude towards the game by several notches. He's now looking to stay at the wicket. To add to his value, he can bowl decently, and is a terrific fielder to boot. The selectors want to nurture him for the future," a BCCI source told TOI.

Times of India has also reported that Harshit Rana was also picked with the idea to nurture him as a death over specialist in white-ball cricket. The KKR pacer picked 19 wickets in IPL 2024.

"It's with the idea of nurturing for a specific role that pacer Harshit Rana has been picked too, in the ODIs. "He can bowl yorkers, slower balls and employ other variations at the death. That makes him a good option in white-ball cricket," the source added abot Rana, who has been named in the ODI squad.