India's schedule gets jam-packed with three more tours ahead of T20 World Cup 2022

Team India’s schedule is jam-packed en route to the T20 World Cup 2022. As per the latest developments, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is planning to induct three more white-ball overseas tours between the tour of England in July and the T20 World Cup in October-November. During their stay in UK, India are also scheduled to meet Ireland in a one-off T20I.

Meanwhile, India will host Sri Lanka in three T20Is and two Test matches in their latest assignment, which gets underway on February 24. The series will be followed by the two-month long Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022, which would see 10 teams in action. The Men in Blue will then host South Africa in five T20Is before flying off to England.

The Three Lions will host India in a one-off rescheduled Test, three ODIs and as many T20Is. As per a report in the Times of India, India will be tour West Indies, Zimbabwe and participate in Asia Cup in UAE as preparation for the T20 World Cup, which is due to start on October 16. With so many fixtures in schedule, bio-bubble fatigue would be a massive factor.

Two Indian teams can be in action simultaneously

Owing to the same, the team management and selectors are considering to form a mega pool of around 35 players. As the one-off T20I in Ireland likely to overlap with the rescheduled Test in England, India could field two different line-ups at a given time. Notably, BCCI named a second-stringed squad for Sri Lanka tour last year with the first-choice team being in England for the Test series.

“The discussions on bio-bubble breaks have already started. Every player has been communicated about the busy itinerary. They have been given time to think about when they would like to take a break. It’s likely a depleted side will travel to Zimbabwe. Ideally, the Asia Cup will be the right tournament to play the first team, in order to get combinations right before the T20 World Cup,” a BCCI official was quoted as saying by the Times of India.