The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is likley to rest most of the senior players during the upcoming T20I series against New Zealand, which is scheduled to begin less than a week after the final of the T20 World Cup.
As per reports, it is most likley that a young team will feature in the three T20 matches. Reportedly, the Indians, who have impressed in the ongoing season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) would be given a chance in the series.
Team India will play three T20Is matches on November 17, 19 and 21 at Jaipur, Ranchi and Kolkata respectively. The T20I series will be followed by two Tests, starting November 25 in Kanpur and December 3 in Mumbai respectively.
Several top Indian cricketers like skipper Virat Kohli, his deputy Rohit Sharma, pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Shami have all been in bio-bubbles since the start of World Test Championship (WTC) in Southampton earlier in June this year and would be handed much-needed rest.
The board is also thinking to rest these players and hand them a break so that they could rejuvenate themselves before the South Africa tour starting December end.
Uncapped players like Ruturaj Gaikwad, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan and Venkatesh Iyer, who all have impressed in the 14th season of the cash-rich league, are in contention for the short series.
Meanwhile, with Ravi Shastri stepping down after the upcoming T20 World Cup, reports also suggest that current National Cricket Academy (NCA) chief and former India captain Rahul Dravid will be interim coach during New Zealand series.
Earlier in July this year, Dravid had served as the head coach of Team India during the tour of Sri Lanka for the limited-overs series as the main team was in England for the WTC Final against New Zealand under Ravi Shastri.
The Indian squad was led by Shikhar Dhawan during the Sri Lanka tour.
After the home series against the Kiwis, the Indian team will tour South Africa for three Tests, as many One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and four T20Is.
The tour will kick-off with the first Test at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg from December 17.
The Men in Blue will play their last game, the fourth and final T20I, on January 26 in Paarl’s Boland Park before heading home.