India vs Sri Lanka 1st ODI Predicted Playing XI: KL Rahul to replace Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav may be DROPPED too

Team India captain Rohit Sharma made it clear that there is no place for Ishan Kishan in the Indian playing XI for the first ODI against Sri Lanka at Guwahati on Tuesday (January 10). The move comes as a huge shock as Kishan had scored the fastest double hundred in ODI cricket – against Bangladesh in his last outing while opening the batting in place of injured Rohit Sharma.

Shubman Gill be opening the batting instead alongside his skipper Rohit. Gill averages an incredible 57.25 with the bat in ODI cricket with 1 hundred and 4 fifties in 15 ODIs at a strike-rate of 99.13.

Indian skipper Rohit Sharma on Monday made it very clear that Ishan Kishan despite his fastest double hundred in his last ODI will have to wait for his next chance just like Suryakumar Yadav, who is currently world’s No. 1 T20 batter. India will be playing six ODIs in next two weeks against Sri Lanka and New Zealand respectively, starting with first game against the Lankans in Guwahati on Tuesday.

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Ishan stunned the cricketing world with world record breaking 131-ball-210 against Bangladesh in Chattogram last month while ‘SKY’ has just scored his 3rd T20I hundred couple of days back in his 43rd innings.

“Both openers have done really well. But looking at how both openers have gone through, it’s fair that we give Gill a chance to have a good run,” Rohit said ahead of the first game.

“Gill has got a lot of runs in the last few games, so has Ishan. I am not going to take anything away from him (Ishan). He's been wonderful for us, got a double hundred. And, I know what it takes to get a double hundred, it is a great achievement,” the Indian skipper added.

KL Rahul will be taking the wicketkeeping gloves in place of Ishan Kishan in the first ODI and will be batting in the middle-order instead.

India vs Sri Lanka Predicted Playing XI

India: Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya, Rohit Sharma (C), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj

Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Avishka Fernando, Charith Asalanka, Dasun Shanaka (C), Dhananjaya de Silva, Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Kusal Mendis, Maheesh Theekshana, Dilshan Madushanka, Kasun Rajitha