Sanath Jayasuriya, the former captain of Sri Lanka who is now serving as their interim coach, highlighted the impact of India's missing players—Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohali, and Ravindra Jadeja—in the upcoming T20 series. These three stalwarts decided to retire from T20 cricket after India secured their first T20 World Cup victory in over a decade. Alongside them, the terms of head coach Rahul Dravid, batting coach Vikram Rathour, and bowling coach Paras Mhambrey also concluded after the World Cup.
This series against Sri Lanka marks a new beginning for Indian cricket under Gautam Ghambhir, who played a pivotal role in appointing Suryakumar Yadav as a new T20 captain. Instead of Hardik Pandya’s fitness, Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agakar expressed confidence in Ydav’s leadership abilities.
Before the first match in Pallekele on Saturday, Jaysuriya acknowledged that Sri Lanka aims to capitalize on the absence of "Rohit, Kohali, and Jadeja in India’s lineup. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohali are among the best in international cricket. “Their skills and contributions are well-known, as is Jadeja," Jaysurya remarked.
Their absence will definitely affect the Indian team, and we plan to take full advantage of that." Rohit and Kohli, the top two run scorers in T20s, will be replaced by Shubham Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal at the top of India’s batting order. Gill has also been appointed as vice captain of ODIs and T20s, indicating selector's faith in his abilities across all formats.
Following the T20s series, there will be a three-match ODI series where Rohit and Kohli are expected to return. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka is preparing under new captain Charith Asalanka after Wanindu Hasaranga’s captaincy during the World Cup.
Jayasuriya took over as interim coach after Chris Silverwood resigned following Sri Lanka's early exit from the T20 World Cup. Sri Lanka has made strategic changes, including the inclusion of Kusal Perera and Avishka Fernando, who were absent from the World Cup squad.
They have also introduced uncapped all-rounder Chamindu Wickramasinghe, known for his performance in the Lanka Premier League. Upul Tharanga, Sri Lanka's chief selector, confirmed that fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera, originally included in the 16-member squad, will miss both the T20 and ODI series against India due to injury, with a replacement to be announced soon.