New Delhi: Team India T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav provided a major update on the team combination for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Bangladesh that is set to get underway on October 6 in Gwalior. The BCCI had announced a strong 15-member squad for the T20I series, specifically resting the Indian Test players to get them ready for the home Test series against New Zealand.
On the eve of the series opener against Bangladesh, Suryakumar revealed that Sanju Samson will get a new role in the Indian team, confirming him as the opening partner of Abhishek Sharma for the three-match T20I affair. Questions arose when the squad was announced, over the Indian team not having any other designated opener other than Abhishek. Among the rest, Sanju is the only player who has quite an experience of the top order.
While Surya himself could adjust himself to the role of an opener but the team would then lack the destruction at no. 3 or no. 4. “Sanju Samson will play and open the batting in this series going forward with Abhishek Sharma,” Surya confirmed this to the media in Gwalior. Samson has been named as the first-choice wicket-keeper for the series as the selection panel decided to give Rishabh Pant a breather as he has been playing non-stop cricket ever since making a comeback in IPL earlier this year.
Opining on Gwalior’s new track
The first T20I will also be a comeback sort of thing for SKY as he missed the Duleep Trophy due to a finger injury that he sustained while fielding during a Buchi Babu Trophy match. The swashbuckling batter said that the newly-built stadium in Gwalior will provide a good surface for an ideal game of T20 cricket.
“The pitch looks good. We have batting on practice wickets there will not be too much change compared to the pitch chosen for tomorrow. We will see tomorrow,” Surya said, adding that they have got to know about the conditions while practicing and that’s why they have an idea about how the pitch might behave. The 34-year-old also said that they have been in contact with the ground staff about the wind and dew factor.
India will see a new opening pair in the three-match Bangladesh T20I series as informed by skipper Suryakumar Yadav on the eve of the first clash that is scheduled in Gwalior for Sunday. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
