India is set to play three-match T20I series against New Zealand right after the T20 World Cup and it is expected that the senior Indian players could be rested for the series.
India is likely to rest most of their senior players for the New Zealand series which is scheduled to start within less than a week from the T20 World Cup final.
It is expected that a team of young players will play the three-match T20I home series and will comprise mainly of the IPL performers.
The matches are scheduled to be played on November 17, 19, and 21 at Jaipur, Ranchi, and Kolkata. The T20I series will be followed by 2 Test matches, starting from November 25 in Kanpur and December 3 in Mumbai.
The top Indian players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and their veteran pacer, Jasprit Bumrah have been in bio-bubbles since the start of the World Test Championship in Southampton in June.
However, the bubble in England was a relaxed one that resulted in a couple of Covid-19 cases in the Indian training camp.
“Most of the Indian players, the senior ones have now been in three back-to-back bubbles for four months. Possibly after T20 World Cup, you would want them to take a break and rejuvenate before the South Africa tour starting December end,”
source tracking development in the selection committee told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
Do not miss: Ricky Ponting exposes the reason behind DC’s loss
It is expected that players like Virat, Rohit, Bumrah, and Mohammed Shami will be given a break. Rohit was continuously playing with Virat since the home series of England but given the fact that Virat is stepping down from the captaincy can measure the workload.
Such a complex picture brings the likes of Ruturaj Gaikwad, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan, and Venkatesh Iyer to take the responsibility of the shortest format for India.
NCA head Rahul Dravid has U19 work during the New Zealand series but speculations are being made that Dravid will be the interim coach during the New Zealand series as Ravi Shastri’s tenure will end with the T20 World Cup this year.
However, the NCA head might be required for his services to draw the roadmap for the U19 World Cup next year with the India Colts team, which would be selected for the Challengers and a four-nation junior meet slated after that.
BCCI is confident that they will find a new coach in that period. Before that, they will have to remove Madan Lal from cricket advisory who is above 70 and there is an age gap mandated by Lodha committee reforms.