'He didn't have a great series': Jaffer tells Rohit and co. to give youngster 'lengthy run' ahead of Sri Lanka T20Is

Wasim Jaffer suggested Rohit Sharma and co. to put faith in the youngster ahead of the T20I series against Sri Lanka.

Team India will return to action on Thursday when the side takes on Sri Lanka in the first match of the three-T20I series in Lucknow. The series sees return of familiar faces in the side as Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja make a comeback; however, Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant have been given rest while Suryakumar Yadav and Deepak Chahar – two of the mainstays in the Indian T20I squad, are forced to miss out due to injuries.

India's captain Rohit Sharma, left, interacts with head coach Rahul Dravid, second right, and batting coach Vikram Rathour, right, as teammate Jasprit Bumrah, second left, looks on during a training session ahead of the first Twenty20 international cricket match between India and Sri Lanka in Lucknow. (AP)

With the absence of KL Rahul, captain Rohit Sharma is expected to partner one of Ishan Kishan and Ruturaj Gaikwad in the first T20. Ishan had opened in all the three games during the series against WI – twice with Rohit and once with Gaikwad. The left-handed batter had a poor outing in the series, registering scores of 35, 2, and 34 in three games.

India vs Sri Lanka 1st T20I Live Score

Former India opener Wasim Jaffer believes that Rohit should open with Gaikwad in the Sri Lanka series.

"Rohit Sharma and Ruturaj Gaikwad should open in this series because India played with Ishan Kishan [against West Indies] and didn't have a great series. It's time India gives Ruturaj a lengthy run of three games or two games at least. So, I feel Rohit and Ruturaj should open in at least a couple of games," Jaffer said on ESPNCricinfo.

Earlier, India head coach Rahul Dravid said the youngsters would not be judged on one series or one bad game.

“This is a tough format. We are asking them to play high risk cricket. We're asking them to play shots all the time. And we don't judge them on a few games. It's not the way it's done,” Dravid said after India secured a 3-0 series win over West Indies last week.

"We try to give people as much as possible consistent runs. We're trying to give them opportunities to play and not judge them on a game to game basis or on one series."