Maroc - POPDIARIES.COM - A La Une - 19/Jul 07:04

Abhishek Sharma and Ruturaj Gaikwad were left out of the T20I squad for India's tour of Sri Lanka.

Suryakumar Yadav has been appointed as the new captain of India's T20I team, and while he might not show it, Hardik Pandya could be feeling disappointed. After all, Hardik led the Indian T20I squad for the entire past year and served as vice-captain to Rohit Sharma until last month when India celebrated a successful T20 World Cup campaign. However, Hardik might not be the only one affected by this change. Reactions from fans on Thursday evening revealed that they were quick to notice the absence of two key players: Ruturaj Gaikwad and Abhishek Sharma. Despite neither being part of the T20 World Cup squad, both had made a strong impression with their performances in the recent series against Zimbabwe, which followed the major tournament earlier this month. Gaikwad had scores of 7, 77, and 49 in three innings over four matches in the series before being rested for the final game. Abhishek, meanwhile, scored a brilliant century in the second T20I, making 100 off just 47 balls. While he did not perform as well in his other three innings, Abhishek’s impressive power-hitting showcased the kind of aggressive cricket that aligns with India’s approach in T20 internationals. Fans were quick to voice their displeasure on X, expressing their frustration over the exclusion of the duo. Many also questioned the decision to include Riyan Parag in both the ODIs and T20Is against Sri Lanka, seeking clarity on the reasoning behind these selections. READ MORE -  White House Confirms Biden's Positive Covid Test