Senior players from the Indian cricket team will be rested for the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka. The Indian team will play three T20Is and three ODIs on this tour.
The Indian cricket team is set to tour Sri Lanka at the end of July. Reports indicate that, similar to the Zimbabwe tour, a young team will be sent, and Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah will not be part of this squad. Rohit, Kohli, and Bumrah played their last match in the T20 World Cup final on June 29.
According to Indian Express, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) wants to ensure that these senior players get complete rest before returning for the full season in September. The Bangladesh team will tour India in September for two Tests and three T20Is.
The Sri Lanka tour will feature three T20Is and three ODIs between July 27 and August 7. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have retired from T20Is after winning the World Cup, while Bumrah has expressed his desire to continue playing in all three formats for the country. Reports suggest that the selection committee will meet next week to finalize the team. However, a new captain will have to be found after his rest on the Sri Lanka tour. In such a situation, the selection committee can hand over the command to Hardik Pandya or KL Rahul for the ODI and T20 series. Pandya’s claim in T20 is considered strong. KL Rahul can be given captaincy in ODI.
A BCCI source told the Indian Express, “Senior players can rest a bit so they can be ready for the upcoming full season. Rohit, Virat, and Bumrah have been rested and will return to the team for the Test series against Bangladesh in September.”
After the Bangladesh series, the Indian team will host New Zealand for a three-match Test series from October 16 to November 5. Following that, the team will travel to South Africa for a four-match T20I series from November 8 to 15, and then play a five-match Test series in Australia starting from November 22.
Meanwhile, the Indian Cricket Board will soon invite applications for the team’s support staff. The tenures of batting coach Vikram Rathour, bowling coach Paras Mhambrey, and fielding coach T Dilip ended after the T20 World Cup held in the West Indies and the US.
The Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) has already interviewed two candidates, Gautam Gambhir and WV Raman, for the head coach position, with an official announcement pending. Gautam Gambhir is expected to take up the role. The delay in the announcement is due to final salary negotiations between the veteran left-handed opener and the board.
BCCI Secretary Jay Shah stated that the new coach will join the Indian team after the Sri Lanka tour. Reports suggest that the board will give Gambhir full freedom to choose his support staff. It is still unclear if the team will have a batting coach in the future, as Gambhir himself was a successful opening batter across all formats. He was also the mentor of the Kolkata Knight Riders, who won the IPL 2024 title.
