IND vs SL: Three focus areas in T20I Leg of Sri Lanka Tour as new era beckons for Team India

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IND vs SL: India's tour to Sri Lanka hasn't been given a lot of attention lately, however the situation is completely different this time. All eyes are on the Indian team which has travelled to Sri Lanka for the six white-ball matches.

Reasons are many. India have got their new captain and successor of Rohit Sharma in T20I format. Suryakumar Yadav would be leading the Men in Blue in the T20Is, before big boys Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli walking in for the ODI leg which kicks off from August 2.

The tour also marks the start of the 'Gautam Gambhir Era'. Many are awaiting for the start of his partnership with ODI captain Rohit Sharma. Fans are also excited to see Gambhir and Kohli once again together in the Indian dressing room.

The stage is set for a blockbuster series, and therefore we have decided to jolt down three focus areas in the T20I leg of the Sri Lanka. We believe these three points would be the focal point of discussion during the course of the three-match series starting July 27.

Gautam Gambhir's new role: We have seen Gautam Gambhir win World Cup finals for India, lead India, bat for over two days to save a Test match, win IPL trophies, fight for his players as a mentor of IPL team, win IPL title as team mentor, but the India vs Sri Lanka T20I series would show him in the brand new avatar of an Indian team head coach.

The general notion is that Gambhir would flourish in the role, but settling down in that dressing room would surely take some time for the former opener. It all starts from the beginning, each and every thing - how team reacts to a situation under him, the batting order, the playing eleven, the body language of the players on field, in dressing room and around him, the viewpoint of seniors to his suggestions - Indian T20I side will hit the reset button and Gambhir will be at the centre of it. In the absence of Rohit and Kohli, he would be the most high-profile presence in that Indian dressing room.

Suryakumar Yadav's captaincy: The Mumbai batter becoming India's new T20I captain ahead of Hardik Pandya was the biggest news last week. The right-hander did not do much with the bat in knockout games but his catch of David Miller in the final over of T20 World Cup 2024 final against South Africa has become a part of Indian cricket folklore.

Hardik Pandya was exceptional with the bat and ball in the ICC event, and the former vice-captain looked set to become the new T20I captain before Surya pipped him in the role on grounds of better fitness and availability.

The ball is in Suryakumar Yadav's court now and he would be aiming to make a convincing start to his stint as the permanent T20I captain of India. In the past, he has led India to five wins in seven T20Is. His captaincy and work style under Gambhir will be observed closely.

The first choice T20I wicketkeeper-batter of India: Rishabh Pant played ahead of Sanju Samson in all the matches of India at the T20 World Cup 2024. He played handy knocks in his first three outings but the performance dipped from the Super 8 stage. In the semi-final and final, he scored 4 and 0 respectively.

Also, Pant batted at number three in the T20 World Cup, and it would be interesting to see his batting position if he plays ahead of Sanju Samson - a player who is considered better equipped to play at various positions in T20 cricket. Samson has long waited for his chance, and would be hoping to find a place in the eleven. The Kerala star struck a crucial match-winning fifty in his last outing against Zimbabwe, and under Gautam Gambhir expected a change in fortune.