Exclusive: Virat Kohli confirms his availability for IND vs SL ODIs; Shreyas Iyer likely to make his comeback

IND vs SL: It is time for India to visit Sri Lanka for the ODIs and T20 series. Both sides will face off against each other in three games each in both series. It will start on July 27 with the first T20, while the ODI leg will start on August 2. Gautam Gambhir, who has replaced Rahul Dravid as head coach, will be on his first assignment for India. The head coach has been in the news for the last few days for different reasons.

After taking the job, Gambhir asked the senior players to play the ODIs. Notably, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah asked for the break for the IND vs SL ODI series. But it looks like Gambhir wants seniors to be available for his first assignment as head coach. Rohit confirmed his availability earlier, and now Virat Kohli has also made himself available.

IND vs SL: Virat Kohli makes himself available for SL ODIs

Rohit, Virat, and Ravindra Jadeja announced their T20I retirements after the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. Both Rohit and Virat also asked for a break for the Sri Lanka tour. But after Gambhir requested the senior, these two are ready to feature for the IND vs SL ODIs.

According to Indian Express, Virat has also confirmed his availability for the coming tour. He is currently in London on vacation with family and will be back shortly. This will be a great sign for the future because India will now prepare for the coming ICC Champions Trophy 2025 and won’t have many ODIs to play before that.

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Virat Kohli informed the BCCI that he'll be available for the ODI series against Sri Lanka, on request of Gautam Gambhir as it will be his first series as a coach. (Express Sports). pic.twitter.com/yZgIaNxUP6

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) July 18, 2024

Adding to that, senior players also need time to adjust to Gambhir, and this can only be possible while playing on the tour. However, Jasprit Bumrah will be rested for the IND vs SL tour after back-to-back seasons of the IPL and T20 World Cup 2024. He will be in action for the coming Bangladesh Test series in September. 

Adding to that, Shreyas Iyer is likely to return for ODIs. India will have some key players returning for the team. The IND vs SL squad is likely to be announced on July 18 (Thursday). Meanwhile, Suryakumar Yadav is all set to get the T20I captaincy. We might see a few more surprises in ODI and T20I squads for the IND vs SL series.

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