All-rounder Hardik Pandya has been rested for the upcoming India-Sri Lanka three-Test series due to "heavy workload", the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced today (November 10).
Pandya was initially picked in the Indian 16-man squad for the opening two Tests. But now he has been withdrawn after the selectors consulted the team management. There is no replacement named.
"The All-India Senior Selection Committee in consultation with the Indian team management has decided to rest all-rounder Hardik Pandya for the upcoming Paytm Test series against Sri Lanka. Mr Pandya was named in the squad for the first two Tests," BCCI's acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary said in a media advisory on Friday.
"Considering Mr Pandya's heavy recent workload, the decision was made to negate any possibility of a major injury concern. Mr Pandya will undergo a period of strength at conditioning at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru," he added.
The 24-year-old Pandya made his Test debut in Sri Lanka in July. So far he has played three Tests. India-Sri Lanka rubber starts in Kolkata on November 16.
India Test squad for the first two Tests: Virat Kohli (captain), KL Rahul, M Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), Rohit Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha (WK), R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma.
Meanwhile, the BCCI selection committee has named Sanju Samson as captain of the Board President's XI for the warm-up match against Sri Lanka after Naman Ojha was ruled out due to injury. Anmolpreet Singh has been added to the squad.
Board President's XI squad: Sanju Samson (C) (WK), Jiwanjot Singh, B Sandeep, Tanmay Agarwal, Abhishek Gupta, Rohan Prem, Akash Bhandari, Jalaj Saxena, Chama Milind, Avesh Khan, Sandeep Warrier, Ravi Kiran, Anmolpreet Singh.
