Kohli now captains India in all three formats of the game
Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo
Virat Kohli has replaced Mahendra Singh Dhoni as India’s limited overs captain for the upcoming series against England.
On Wednesday, Dhoni stepped down as India’s ODI and Twenty20 captain, but despite relinquishing the leadership roles, the veteran wicketkeeper-batsman kept his place in both squads.
Meanwhile, all-rounder Yuvraj Singh was recalled to both squads, while 19-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant earned his maiden call-up to the national team after being drafted into the Twenty20 side.
Yuvraj last played ODI cricket in December 2013 and has not represented India in the shortest format of the game since the 2016 World Twenty20. However, he earned his recall after recapturing his form in the 2016/17 Ranji Trophy, where he has made 672 runs in five matches for Punjab, which includes a superb 260 against Baroda in October.
“We should appreciate the way Yuvraj Singh has played in domestic cricket,” chairman of selectors MSK Prasad said. “All these days we thought he hasn’t played long innings. But he has scored a double-hundred. He scored 180 [sic] on the Lahli wicket.”
As for Pant, he scored 972 runs at an average of 81 in the Ranji Trophy and even made a triple century against Maharashtra at a strike rate of 94.47 in October.
India’s spin department will comprise of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, Amit Mishra and Yuzvendra Chahal. However, Mishta was only included in the ODI squad, while Chahal only secured a spot in the Twenty20 side.
It was also confirmed that pace bowler Mohammed Shami had not sufficiently recovered from a knee injury he suffered in the recent Test series against England.
The limited overs series between India and England will get underway with an ODI in Pune on January 15.
India ODI squad: KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli (capt), MS Dhoni, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Yuvraj Singh, Ajinkya Rahane, Hardik Pandya, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Amit Mishra, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav.
India T20 squad: KL Rahul, Mandeep Singh, Virat Kohli (capt), MS Dhoni (wk), Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Manish Pandey, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ashish Nehra.