It laid down the foundation for the planned preparation of the 2025 champions trophy through the ODI series against Sri Lanka. Indian men’s cricket team disappeared victorious in the T20I series 3-0 against Sri Lanka, and now the head coach Gautam Gambhir is heading towards the upcoming three-match ODI series on August 2 in Colombo. This series becomes very crucial since it is the only series India will be playing in ODIs in 2024.
Training and Preparations
As a preparation of the first Match at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Sri Lanka, Indian team practiced in net sessions in Colombo and key players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli were seen practicing. This will be the team’s first game after claiming the T20 World Cup title in Barbados earlier this June and the first ODI game since the defeat in the final of the 2023 Cricket World Cup to Australia in the previous November.
The BCCI uploaded a video of Kohli and Rohit smacking great biggies in the nets in the Oman Practice match. Kohli took on Kuldeep Yadav and hit him over long-on; Rohit then punched a six down the ground. The shots that these players have taken during the first match were thoroughly appreciated by their coach Gambhir who seems fully prepared and charged up for the series.
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Team Selection Decisions
In the preceding month, it was pointed out that both the Indian captain and the white-ball vice-captain had sought an elongated respite from cricket owing to a cracker-jack calendar that includes the IPL 2024. Still, there was a PTI report that disclosed that Gambhir was able to coax both senior players to play in the yet ODI series against Sri Lanka. It is a tactical one since this series will be the lone ODI encounter for India before the Champions Trophy, and added advantage for Gambhir to have a look at the team.
Champions Trophy squad paceman Jasprit Bumrah ruled out from the series against Sri Lanka. He has been dropped because India has a tight schedule of 10 test series in this year’s calendar, out of which 5 are to be played at home against Bangladesh and New Zealand and other 5 are to be played in Australia.
Looking Ahead
Gautam Gambhir has a precious championship trophy and he wants to prepare the Indian team for that, considering that series against Sri Lanka is the best working ground for it and the upcoming Champions Trophy. India’s next scheduled ODI series will be against England at home in February 2025 followed immediately by the Champions Trophy in Pakistan. This series is a good platform for India to work on its strategies and different combinations of the team.
Report By: Sonali Sarkar
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