Reports: KL Rahul to lead second-string India squad in New Zealand T20Is

KL Rahul is understood to be the frontrunner to lead India against New Zealand in the upcoming T20I series at home. The series gets underway in Jaipur on November 17, with subsequent encounters to be played on November 19 and 21 in Ranchi and Kolkata, respectively. The T20Is will be followed by two Tests from November 25-29 (Kanpur) and December 3-7 (Mumbai).

All of India’s T20 World Cup squad members have had a busy schedule over the last year, running since the 2020 IPL, which might prompt the selectors to rest the first-choice players. In their absence, Rahul is likely to lead a second-string squad.

”The seniors would need a breather and it is no secret that Rahul is an integral part of the team’s T20 structure. He is almost certain to lead,” the source close to the BCCI was quoted as saying by TOI.

Further, the BCCI is also confident to have limited crowds back in the stadium for the 20-over series. “Yes, we will have fans coming in, but it won’t be full capacity. We will work closely with the local authorities and plan the way forward,” a BCCI official said.

Prithvi Shaw, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Mayank Agarwal are some of the main contenders to open alongside Rahul in the series, while Yuzvendra Chahal and Shikhar Dhawan, who both were not selected in the T20 World Cup squad are likely to be named as well.

After an impressive run in the IPL, Avesh Khan, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Chetan Sakariya and Harshal Patel are also in the hunt for the pacer duties, while Ravi Bishnoi could also make a way in the spin column.

The Chetan Sharma-led national selection committee is expected to meet in the next couple of days to name the squad for the series, while a decision regarding India’s new T20I skipper is also to be taken as Virat Kohli is set to step down after the conclusion of the ongoing World Cup.

While Rohit Sharma is the likeliest name to replace Kohli, at least for the New Zealand series, the chances are the team will be led by Rahul.