India vs Sri Lanka, T20I Series 2023: 3 Surprising players who bagged a spot in India's squad

Team India’s journey in 2023 will begin on 3 January with the three-match T20I series at home against Sri Lanka. Followed by that, they will play a three-match ODI series also against Sri Lanka. So, on 27 December 2022, the Indian Cricket Board announced the squads for both series.

As expected, some big-name players took a rest from the T20I series. But, they will be available for the ODI series in order to get prepared for the 50-over World Cup 2023. Fans were not happy with some deserving names did not make the cut. However, there are some names in the T20I squad that surprised fans.   

Here are the four players of India who surprisingly managed to get a spot in the squad for the T20I series against Sri Lanka:    

Axar Patel

Axar Patel (Image Source: Twitter)

This spinner was a part of the team India in the 20-20 World Cup. But, Axar Patel had a forgettable World Cup campaign for the Men in Blue. With the bat, he scored only nine runs in three innings, at an average of 4.50. He also failed with the ball as Axar managed only three wickets in five innings, at an economy of 8.62.

Then, he was not in the squad for team India in the T20I series in New Zealand. Recently, he made a comeback with some good performances in the ODI and Test series in Bangladesh. So, fans were expecting not to see him in the shortest format of the game. But, still, he managed to bag a spot for this series. 

Shivam Mavi

Shivam Mavi (Image Source: Twitter)

This pacer made headlines on 23 December 2022 when the Gujarat franchise bought him for the next edition of the Indian T20 League. His base price was INR 40 Lakhs but he went for a whopping INR 6 Lakhs. Shivam Mavi enjoyed a great Vijay Hazare Trophy 2022/23 campaign as he took 14 wickets in seven matches, at an economy of 4.15.

In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2022/23, Mavi took 10 wickets in seven matches, at an economy of 6.64. Meanwhile, Mavi has experience playing in the Indian T20 League for the Kolkata franchise from 2018 to 2022. So, it was a massive decision from team India to include him in this T20I series.  

Mukesh Kumar

Mukesh Kumar (Image Source: Twitter)

This Bengal pacer also made headlines when the Delhi franchise bought him for the next edition of the Indian T20 League in the mini-auction. His base price was INR 20 Lakhs but Delhi acquired his services for INR 5.5 Crores. Mukesh Kumar has enjoyed an impressive domestic season across any format of the game.

In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2022/223, Mukesh Kumar took six wickets in six innings, at an economy of 7.04. But, in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he bowled better as he took nine wickets in six innings, at an economy of 4.91. So, it was a big call from the Men in Blue to include him in the squad. Now, he can make a debut for India even before making a debut in the Indian T20 League.