Welcome to the coverage of the first One-Day International between India and Sri Lanka in Colombo on Friday.
Most of India's senior players, including Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, are back in action as India aim for a winning start in the three-match ODI series.
After winning the T20I series 3-0, head coach Gautam Gambhir will be hoping his team continues to dominate in the 50-overs format too.
The Indian team management has an opportunity to decide who among KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant will be India's long-term first-choice wicketkeeper-batter in ODIs.
the Rahul vs Pant conundrum is certain to get priority treatment in this series.
Rahul is the incumbent wicketkeeper-batter and has been assigned to that role by the previous set-up under Rahul Dravid since last year's Asia Cup, a tournament in which he made his comeback from a long injury-forced layoff.
Since then, Rahul has done full justice to his duty both in front and behind the wicket.
Since the continental showpiece last year, Rahul has made 834 runs from 21 matches at a fine average of 69.50 with two hundreds. Besides, Rahul also captained India in the ODI series against South Africa earlier this year
As a stumper too, the 32-year-old has been pretty good. But will Gambhir follow the same route since Pant is back in the reckoning?
Pant's return to India fold through a clutch of T20Is after that horrific accident in 2022 has been heartwarming but he has not set the field ablaze with his outings.
There have been encouraging sparks during the last month or so. But is that enough to convince the powers that be to pick him ahead of Rahul?
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