File photo of Wasim Jaffer© Punjab Kings/Twitter
Wasim Jaffer, former India player, raised a few eyebrows when he excluded Ishan Kishan while picking the team’s openers for the upcoming T20I series against Sri Lanka beginning February 24 in Lucknow. Instead, Jaffer went with Ruturaj Gaikwad to partner captain Rohit Sharma. Jaffer also hoped to see Gaikwad being given a “lengthy run”. He said Gaikwad should play “at least a couple of games” against Sri Lanka. Talking to ESPNcricinfo, Jaffer said, “Rohit Sharma and Ruturaj Gaikwad should open in this series because India played with Ishan Kishan [against West Indies] and didn’t have a great series. It’s time India gives Ruturaj a lengthy run of three games or two games at least. So, I feel Rohit and Ruturaj should open in at least a couple of games.”
In the recently-concluded series against West Indies, Rohit opened with Ishan in the first and second T20Is, followed by Ishan pairing up with Gaikwad in the final match.
Ishan scored a total of 71 runs in the three-game T20I series vs West Indies at home while Gaikwad failed to get going and was dismissed for four runs in the only match he played.
Rohit-led India will hope for the batters to come good as the home side will be going into the series without Suryakumar Yadav. The batter suffered a hairline fracture during a fielding attempt in the final game vs the West Indies in Kolkata and was therefore ruled out.
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In another blow, pacer Deepak Chahar will also miss the series due to a right quadriceps injury during bowling against West Indies recently.
The 2nd and 3rd T20Is of the series will be played at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala on February 26 and 27 respectively.
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