Every international cricketer gets to that top-form point in his career some stage, but it has come rather early for Hardik Pandya. Hardik Pandya has been having the time of his life. His destructive batting skills have come in handy to the Indian side.

Apart from that, he can always bowl a couple of spells to fill in for the main seamers. The 24-year-old has been a regular member of the Indian side in all three formats and has been playing continuously since the Champions Trophy in England in June.

The selection committee has finally decided to give Pandya a break and has not included him in the squad for the test series against Sri Lanka.

“The all-India senior selection committee in consultation with the Indian team management has decided to rest all-rounder Hardik Pandya for the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka. Considering Pandya”s heavy recent workload, the decision was made to negate any possibility of a major injury concern. Pandya will undergo a period of strength and conditioning at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru”, the BCCI said in a statement.

India will also play three one-day internationals and the same number of T20s against Sri Lanka.

India squad: Virat Kohli (captain), KL Rahul, Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha (wicketkeeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma