We have Asia Cup and World Cup coming up, so I don't think there's a place to try new players out: Mohammad Kaif

India's upcoming series against West Indies, which is scheduled to commence on July 12, presents a distinctive challenge for the Rohit Sharma-led team. The team is scheduled to participate in two Tests, three ODIs, and five T20s. West Indies team will be competing in this series following their underwhelming performance in the recent World Cup Qualifiers, where they failed to secure a spot in the World Cup 2023.

With limited opportunities to experiment with new players, former cricketer Mohammad Kaif emphasizes the significance of maintaining a formidable and experienced squad for the upcoming Asia Cup and World Cup tournaments.

During a recent discussion on 'Virtual Encounters' on DD India, Kaif shared his perspective on India fielding a squad with established players for the West Indies tour. He stressed the importance of having players in prime form for the impending major tournaments, stating, "You have the Asia Cup and the World Cup coming up, so I don't think you have a place to try new players out."

While acknowledging the inclusion of Yashasvi Jaiswal, who has been performing admirably and secured a spot in the squad, Kaif said that senior players need to remain connected to the game to ensure their preparedness for crucial matches. He mentioned the possibility of including players like Rinku Singh in the squad but emphasized the importance of having a core group of senior players in peak condition when the significant tournaments approach.

"Someone like Rinku Singh can be added but apart from that, you have to have players in form when the big tournaments come. When the big matches come, you have to have your senior players ready, which means they need to keep playing."

Although the Indian team has granted some rest to senior player Mohammad Shami for the Test and ODI series against the West Indies, the exclusion of other senior players from the T20 squad indicates the team's focus on preserving their form for the upcoming crucial events.

Kaif highlighted the significance of maintaining match fitness, especially after a month-long break since the World Test Championship (WTC) final. He stated, "Following the WTC final, Indian team had a month-long break. They aren't currently playing. Therefore, when they go to West Indies, they should aim to continue playing and stay in top form."