The dashing opener Virender Sehwag and pace spearhead Zaheer Khan, both were rested for the Asia Cup in March, have returned to the Indian squad while Sachin Tendulkar opted out from the limited-overs tour of Sri Lanka which includes five ODIs and one T20 game, starting from July 21.

Tendulkar, was a part of the squad for the Asia Cup in March -- India's last ODI assignment -- where he completed his 100th international century but decided to opt out of Sri Lanka tour.

 

The in-form Mumbai batsman Ajinkya Rahane has replaced Tendulkar, on the other hand selectors dropped out-of-form all-round Ravindra Jadeja and included left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha in his place in the side.

 

"It is a long season ahead and I think we will come back to winning ways. Sachin wants to extend his career. He is spacing it out very well," the BCCI's chairman of selectors Kris Srikkanth told reporters.

 

The Kris Srikkanth-led selection committee also decided to replace Praveen Kumar with Zaheer's pace understudy Umesh Yadav along with Ashok Dinda and R Vinay Kumar. Batsman Manoj Tiwary and leggie Rahul Sharma make were retained while the Pathan brothers, Irfan and Yusuf, who played in the Asia Cup dropped from the 15-member squad.

 

 

The rest of the squad, to be led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, remains the same with the selectors retaining Virat Kohli as vice-captain, a position that the Delhi youngster took from opener Gautam Gambhir during the Asia Cup.

 

Indian Squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Virender Sehwag, Zaheer Khan, Virat Kohli, Gautam Gambhir, R Ashwin, Umesh Yadav, Ashok Dinda, Suresh Raina, Vinay Kumar, Rohit Sharma, Pragyan Ojha, Ajinkya Rahane, Manoj Tiwary, Rahul Sharma.