As Team India arrived in Sri Lanka for the upcoming series, newly-appointed T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav was welcomed with a warm hug from star all-rounder Hardik Pandya. Maybe that one small act just buried loads of speculations around an alleged rift between these two players, ushering in the right note into their upcoming matches.

The Indian cricket team touched down in Sri Lanka on Monday, ready to dive into a busy calendar of three T20Is and as many ODIs against the island nation. This series becomes an important transition phase in Indian cricket as Yadav takes over the reins of captaincy in T20Is after the recent retirement of Rohit Sharma. Yadav’s appointment surprised quite a few since Pandya was by far considered the front-runner for the captaincy.

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Adding to the atmosphere of change, former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir has officially taken charge as head coach of Team India. Without wasting much time, Gambhir conducted Team India’s first practice session in Sri Lanka on Tuesday, which signaled that he was geared up and ready for this new chapter to be led by him for team India.

Hardik Pandya hugging Suryakumar Yadav 🤝 💥 pic.twitter.com/ZNRff63ncn

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) July 24, 2024

The inclusion of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will added to the three-match ODI series, with Shubman Gill named vice-captain in both formats. The first T20I is set to take place on July 27, with games on July 28 and 30 all at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. The ODIs are on August 2, 4 and 7 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.

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The blend of Yadav’s captaincy and Gambhir’s coaching marks a new beginning for Indian cricket. They have earlier shared the dressing room of the Kolkata Knight Riders, though in different capacities—Gambhir as captain and Yadav as player. Now, they join forces for the common aim of thrusting Indian cricket forward.

This new leadership duo is all geared up to imbue the team with renewed vigor, coupled with a different line of play. With stalwarts in players like Sharma and Kohli through the ranks, combined with emerging talent, the Indian cricket team wants to dominate the series in Sri Lanka and hence set a platform for future successes.