Some Indian players have already been individually informed that they will not be considered for selection for Sri Lanka Test Series.
While Team India is playing the series against West Indies, talks regarding the upcoming series against Sri Lanka are already doing the rounds. With the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) all set to rejig the itinerary of Sri Lanka's entire tour to India, the revised schedule will see the three-match T20I series take place before the two-match Test series contrary to what was originally planned.
However, there is no confirmation on when the Chetan Sharma-led selection committee will announce the squads for both the T20I and Test series, it is to be noted that the new Indian Test captain would most likely be Rohit Sharma.
While talks about the Test series is on, there is news that some Indian players have already been individually informed that they will not be considered for selection for Sri Lanka Test Series. Let's have a look at those players.
1. Ajinkya Rahane
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Ajinkya Rahane is currently on borrowed time as he has been asked to play the Ranji Trophy. In fact, he will have to score more than just a stray century to be in the reckoning to make it back to the Indian squad as his bad patch has been a prolonged one and just one good innings may not do any good for the middle-order batter.
2. Cheteshwar Pujara
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Other than Rahane, even Cheteshwar Pujara has got has had a dry run for two years and has now got a bit of grace period. Even he has been asked to play in the Ranji Trophy to try and undo the damage that has already been done.
However, Pujara and even Rahane still have a chance to make a comeback in the Indian set-up depending on the performance this Ranji Season. In fact, Rahane and Pujara's Ranji Trophy season will begin with the two squaring off against each other.
3. Wriddhiman Saha
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Wriddhiman Saha is surely unlucky as first he was kept in the sideline due to MS Dhoni and that carried on after Rishabh Pant burst into the scenes.
Now the wicketkeeper-batter was clearly informed that they will not be considered for selection to the Indian team in future. The veteran stumper had last played for India in the home series against New Zealand in November-December last year.
4. Ishant Sharma
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Ishant Sharma has also been told he would not be considered for selection. As per a report by PTI, both Ishant and Saha have not communicated to their state Ranji teams ahead of the red-ball domestic season.
The 33-year-old Ishant has been one of the most experienced players in the current Indian Test set-up with 105 Test matches and 311 wickets in his kitty, however, he has gone off the boil since the tour of England. He was not even considered among the top five pacers who played the three Tests in South Africa.
