The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced the 15-member squad for the forthcoming 5-match ODI series and the one-off T20I against Sri Lanka. It was speculated that skipper Virat Kohli will be given rest for the limited over games. However, he will play the 5-match ODI and the only T20I, leading the men in blue. On the other hand, after a long and hectic Test schedule, some of the star bowlers have finally been given rest. Frontline spinners, R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja and pacer Mohammad Shami have been given a break from the ODI and T20I series.
Chinaman Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel have found a place in the squad while speedster Shardul Thakur, who played for the Rising Pune Supergiant in IPL 10, has got his maiden ODI call. Middle order batsman Suresh Raina again missed being on the squad, although he underwent a fitness camp at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore along with Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Also, Yuvraj Singh, who was the part of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 and the West Indies tour, failed to make it into the squad.
Opener Rohit Sharma has been appointed as the Vice Captain of the team.
Squad:
Virat Kohli(C), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma(vc), KL Rahul, Manish Pandey, Ajinkya Rahane, Kedar Jadhav, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jaspreet Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumnar, Shardul Thakur
#TeamIndia for Sri Lanka ODIs & T20I – Virat (C), Shikhar, Rohit (vc), Rahul, Manish, Rahane, Kedar – Part I
— BCCI (@BCCI) August 13, 2017
#TeamIndia for Sri Lanka ODIs & T20I – MSD (wk), Hardik, Axar, Kuldeep, Chahal, Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar, Shardul – Part II
— BCCI (@BCCI) August 13, 2017
The first ODI match of the series will be played on August 20 at Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, Dambulla while the only T20 will be played in Colombo on September 6.
The entire ODI, T20I schedule is mentioned below:
ODI Series
| Match No | Start Date | Venue | Time (IST) |
| 1 | 20 August 2017 | Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, Dambulla | 14:30 HRS |
| 2 | 24 August 2017 | Pallekele International Stadium, Balagolla | 14:30 HRS |
| 3 | 27 August 2017 | Pallekele International Stadium, Balagolla | 14:30 HRS |
| 4 | 31 August 2017 | R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo | 14:30 HRS |
| 5 | 3 September 2017 | R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo | 14:30 HRS |
One-Off T20I – 6 September 2017, R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, 19:30 Hrs
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