Four questions for India as they enter a new era in white-ball cricket

A sense of anticipation surrounds India's tour of Sri Lanka, which might have otherwise been fairly low-key, with Gautam Gambhir beginning his stint as the head coach, and with India beginning a new era in white-ball cricket following their T20 World Cup triumph. The make-up of India's T20I squad in the aftermath of the three big retirements following the World Cup win and the composition of the ODI squad in the run-up to next year's Champions Trophy will be keenly looked at.

In 2015, Suryakumar Yadav's first brush with captaincy ended controversially when he gave up the leadership of his domestic side after being reprimanded by the Mumbai Cricket Association following complaints from his team-mates that he used abusive language on the field and in the dressing room. Nearly a decade on, Suryakumar is a far more mellow character, and a hugely evolved cricketer, one of the greats of the T20 format. The timing of his elevation to India's T20I captaincy could not feel more apt.

Suryakumar's calmness and maturity, and his body of work as a batter, have won him several admirers, most notably the Ajit-Agarkar-led selection committee. Gambhir too was impressed by what he saw of Suryakumar during his later years at Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), when he was elevated to vice-captaincy.

Within three years of his international debut, Suryakumar is set to take over full-time, with the team management eyeing a two-year runway leading into India's defence of their T20 crown at home and in Sri Lanka in 2026.

So far, Suryakumar has captained India seven times in an interim capacity, when the job was entrusted upon him late last year with Rohit Sharma rested and Hardik Pandya out injured. Suryakumar was India's second-highest run-getter in their 4-1 series win over Australia soon after the ODI World Cup last November, and he then led the T20I squad to a 1-1 scoreline in South Africa, where he scored 56 and 100 in two innings.

The sample size is small, then, but the signs are promising. However, Suryakumar may need to tide over the potential undercurrents set in motion by his appointment, considering he will be leading Hardik, who captains him at Mumbai Indians, and who not long ago was viewed as India's T20I captain-in-waiting.

With Shubman Gill vice-captain of both white-ball squads, it's fairly certain he and Yashasvi Jaiswal will take the places of the recently retired Rohit and Virat Kohli at the top of the order in the T20Is, with Rishabh Pant at No. 3, and Suryakumar and Hardik certainties in the middle order.

This leaves Sanju Samson, Riyan Parag, Rinku Singh and Shivam Dube potentially tussling for one spot. In the past, Gambhir has shown a liking for allrounders in a T20 set-up. When he assembled the squad at Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Deepak Hooda, Marcus Stoinis and Krunal Pandya were all regulars. That Dube and Parag can chip in with the ball could work in their favour, but Rinku's temperament and the numbers he has put up over his short career will be hard to look past.

It would have seemed inconceivable after last year's ODI World Cup that Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul would be fighting for their places in the ODI middle order ahead of the 2025 Champions Trophy. But it's a reality they may have to contend with if the selectors deem Pant to be the first-choice keeper, which Rahul was when Pant was recovering from the injuries he sustained in a car crash.

Rohit, Gill and Kohli pick themselves at the top of the order. Assuming Hardik, who has opted for a break from the Sri Lanka ODIs, is a certainty if fully fit, there's room for only two of Pant, Iyer and Rahul in the middle order, which means they could all be auditioning for these two spots during the ODIs in Sri Lanka.It's possible only two may play in this series too, if India want a batting allrounder such as Parag or Dube in the top six.

The scrutiny is likely to be a lot less for Axar Patel, for whom this is a chance to show the selectors he can be an able alternative to the rested Ravindra Jadeja, while Ravi Bishnoi and Washington Sundar have opportunities to build on their gains from Zimbabwe.

Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj are India's top three fast bowlers across formats. But with the focus likely to shift to Test cricket after this tour - India play five home Tests and five in Australia from September to January - Gambhir is keen to ensure that workloads are managed carefully. It's in line with this principle that Bumrah has been rested for the Sri Lanka tour, while Shami is building his way back to full fitness after a long injury break.

Siraj is likely to spearhead the attack across both formats in Sri Lanka, and while Arshdeep Singh has established himself as a first-choice pick in T20Is, he'll have a chance to make a case in the 50-overs format too. Khaleel Ahmed and the bristling Harshit Rana (picked for T20Is and ODIs respectively) will also be looked at closely.

Then there are the likes of Mukesh Kumar, Avesh Khan (both not picked) and Mayank Yadav (who is on the mend from multiple injuries), who will have the upcoming domestic season beginning with the Duleep Trophy on September 5 to make their cases.