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

On November 17, 19, and 21, New Zealand will face India in three T20I matches in Jaipur, Ranchi, and Kolkata, respectively. It will be followed by two Tests, the first of which will begin on November 25 in Kanpur and the second on December 3 in Mumbai. However, it has recently been claimed that India will rest some of its important players for the T20I series against New Zealand.

Since the commencement of the World Test Championship final in June, some crucial Indian players have been in a bubble environment. The likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Mohammed Shami, and possibly a few more players are expected to miss the series. As a result, India may select a youthful team against New Zealand. The performance of the players in the IPL might have a significant impact on the squad selection. Ruturaj Gaikwad, Avesh Khan, Venkatesh Iyer, Harshal Patel, and a few more will be given green light for this series based on their performance in the tournament.

“For the past four months, the majority of Indian players, particularly the senior ones, have been in three back-to-back bubbles. You’d want them to take a break and rejuvenate after the T20 World Cup,” a source told TOI.

With Ravi Shastri’s term as India’s head coach coming to an end after the T20 World Cup in 2021, the BCCI has been pondering his replacement. However, due to the length of time it will take to find a replacement coach, Dravid may be relieved of his duties for this home series.

“We wanted the candidate who we believe is best fit for the job” says the hiring manager. “We don’t want to find ourselves in a situation where we receive applications but no one is considered ideal. It will be humiliating for both the board and the applicants. So it’s preferable to identify a suitable candidate first, and Dravid can serve as temporary coach in the meantime,” a BCCI official stated.