IND vs SL: India's best XI for ODI series

After sealing a 2-1 series win against Sri Lanka in the T20I series, the Men in Blue will be in action in a three-match ODI series starting from January 10. India will look forward to making a statement after a disappointing 2-1 loss against Bangladesh in their most recent ODI assignment.

It will be a good test for the team given that Sri Lanka are no pushovers in this format and defeated Australia in an ODI series last year. Meanwhile, several senior players will also return to the Indian team after missing out on the T20 squad for various reasons. The series will be of great significance for India as they look to fix a starting XI with only a few months left for the World Cup at home.

On that note, here’s a look at India’s best starting XI for the ODI series against Sri Lanka:

1. Rohit Sharma (C)

The Indian captain will come back in the ODI series after a month-long absence due to a thumb injury. Rohit Sharma had a poor 2022 with the bat and struggled for consistency. He will hope that a change in year sparks a change in fortune. 

He scored only 249 runs in eight ODIs last year while striking at 114. The 36-year-old notched up three half-centuries, two of those in chases below 180. Rohit is much better than those numbers suggest and one look at his career stats is enough to prove that. 

A batter who has scored over 9000 ODI runs at an average of 48.73 and with a strike rate of nearly 90 will find form sooner rather than later. The lack of ODIs on a continuous basis can be cited as a reason for his mediocre returns in the format last year. However, with several 50-over games lined up in the near future, one can expect the skipper to find his rhythm.