At least five top Indian cricketers, including captain Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya, will be rested for the tri-series in Sri Lanka, Indian cricket board (BCCI) sources has said. 

Rohit Sharma will lead the team in Kohli’s absence. As reported by TOI earlier, a few young faces will be a part of the ODI team.

Keeping in mind the hectic South Africa series, which is due to get over on Saturday, the players and BCCI have mutually agreed to rest these top cricketers for the series. “What is the point of sending these cricketers after such a hectic South African tour,” a team source said.

The selectors will pick some new names on Sunday. With Kedar Jadhav too in the sick bay, there could be as many as six openings for the new-look Indian ODI team. Two selectors, including chairman of the selection panel MSK Prasad, had a chat with Delhi’s wicketkeeper-batsman Rishab Pant at the Palam cricket grounds after the Vijay Hazare match between Delhi and Andhra. In all likelihood, Pant will replace Dhoni.