The Nidahas Trophy 2018 i.e. tri-nation T20 Series which is to be played amongst India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh is all set to start from 6th March. India will play the first match of the series against host Sri Lanka followed by the next one on 8th March. All the matches are to be played in Columbo.
While the recently wrapped series against SA came out as a delight for the Indian team in both ODI and T20 formats, this upcoming series is going to be even more crucial. Notably, the absence of star players like Kohli, Dhoni, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, and Bhuvaneshwar is a big change for the squad. On the other hand, the captaincy of Rohit Sharma is going to be put to an important test.
Another major change is that BCCI has chosen names of some fresh faces like Deepak Hooda, Jaydev Unadkat, Rishabh Pant, and Washington Sundar. It’s a golden chance for the young talented brigade to showcase their best in the game. While Mohammad Siraj is going to play his first international match in the tri-series, Pant has had only 2 T20 international appearances.
Furthermore, the 20-year-old Rishabh Pant’s exceptional ton in just 32 balls was the second fastest T20 century. Then there is Jaydev Unadkat who has taken 7 wickets in 6 T20 international appearances. The player made headlines when he was bought by Rajasthan Royal for USD 1.8 million.
Apart from the expectations from young talented players, hopes are high from Rohit Sharma as he is going to lead the team in the Nidahas Trophy. Although Rohit has gained a slot among the top 5 run scoring openers in T20 format since January 2017, his performance against Sri Lanka still raises many questions.
With the strike rate of 172.13 and the best balls per boundary rate, the player has a strike rate of just 115.85 in Sri Lanka which is his lowest in the subcontinent. Not just batting but Rohit’s overall leadership skills are also going to be tested and judged with the Tri Series.
