Rohit Sharma named Test captain as BCCI announces squad for Sri Lanka series; Pujara, Rahane dropped

Rohit Sharma has been appointed as the new captain of the Indian Test team ahead of the start of the upcoming series against Sri Lanka at home. Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Saturday (February 19) announced India's squad for the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka. The Chetan Sharma-led national selection panel has decided to hand over the captaincy to Rohit, making him India's captain across all formats of the game.

Virat Kohli had quit as India's Test captain earlier this year post the team's 2-1 loss in the Test series against South Africa. The captaincy spot had since been vacant. However, Rohit will now take charge in the whites as well after being appointed as India's limited-overs captain last year.

Besides confirming Rohit's appointment as Test captain, the selectors have taken some big calls by dropping the likes of Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ishant Sharma and Wriddhiman Saha from the Test team. The four senior players have been replaced by youngsters in the squad.

Rahane and Pujara's form was under the scanner for quite a while now and the duo's failure to bounce back from their lean patch has resulted in their ouster from the Test team. Ishant has also failed to attain consistency with the ball and his recent fitness issues have seen Mohammed Siraj move up in the pecking order.

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Star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja will be making his comeback from injury against Sri Lanka. He is also part of the T20I squad for the three-match series against the visitors. Former skipper Kohli, who will miss the T20Is, will be back for the Test series.

While senior spinner R Ashwin's selection is subject to fitness, left-arm all-rounder Sourabh Kumar has received his maiden Test call up for the Sri Lanka series. Kumar, who represents Uttar Pradesh in the domestic circuit is a left-arm spin all-rounder. In Ashwin's absence, Jadeja will spearhead India's spin attack along with Jayant Yadav.

Jasprit Bumrah named India's vice-captain in Tests:

The selectors have taken another major call by naming Jasprit Bumrah as India's vice-captain in the absence of KL Rahul. The premier pacer was being touted as one of the contenders to replace Kohli as Test captain. However, he will act as Rohit's deputy in the Sri Lanka Test series for now.

India's Test squad for Sri Lanka series: Rohit Sharma (C), Mayank Agarwal, Priyank Panchal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas, Hanuma Vihari, Gill, Rishabh Pant, KS Bharat, Ashwin (subject to fitness), Ravindra Jadeja, Jayant Yadav, Kuldeep, Bumrah (VC), Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Sourabh Kumar