Senior Indian players likely to be rested for T20I series against New Zealand

New Zealand will lock horns with India in three T20I matches on November 17, 19, and 21 at Jaipur, Ranchi, and Kolkata respectively. It will be then followed by two Tests kick-starting from November 25 in Kanpur and from December 3 in Mumbai. However, it is now been reported that India is likely to rest its key players for the T20I series against the Black Caps.

Some of the key Indian players have been in the bubble environment since the start of the World Test Championship final in June. It is understood that the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Mohammed Shami, and maybe a few more players would miss out on the series. This thus means that India might field a young team against the Kiwis.

The squad selection can be vastly affected by the performances of the players in the IPL. Ruturaj Gaikwad, Avesh Khan, Venkatesh Iyer, Harshal Patel, and a few others who have exuded their sheer flair in the tournament might receive a green signal for this series.

“Most of the Indian players, the senior ones, have now been in three back-to-back bubbles for four months. Possibly after the T20 World Cup, you would want them to take a break and rejuvenate before the South Africa tour starting December end,” a source said as reported by TOI.

Rahul Dravid is likely to be appointed as Team India’s interim coach for the New Zealand series

With Ravi Shastri’s tenure as team India’s head coach ending after the T20 World Cup 2021, the BCCI has been putting its thinking hats on for his replacement. However, as the search for a new coach will take a considerable amount of time, Dravid might be handed over the responsibility for this home series.

“We wanted the candidate whom we feel is best suited for the job to agree first (to apply for the job). We don’t want a situation where we get applications but no one is seen as ideal. It will be embarrassing for the board and for the candidates too. So it’s better to find a suitable candidate first, till then Dravid can be interim coach,” a BCCI official said.