The series against Afghanistan will be India’s last T20I assignment before the T20 World Cup 2024.
This will be India’s last T20I assignment before the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, slated to be held in the West Indies and USA from June 1 to June 29.
On the eve of the opening T20I, India head coach Rahul Dravid addressed a press conference, where he acknowledged the limited opportunities for Indian players to play as a group ahead of the global tournament.
Dravid further stated that the think tank would have to rely on the performances in IPL 2024 to make crucial decisions regarding team selection.
“After the last T20I World Cup (2022) we prioritised the ODI World Cup. But we don't have that many T20I games after that (ODI WC),” Dravid told reporters.
"So, this T20I WC is slightly different in the sense that (there's) not a lot of time to prepare for that. We have to rely on the cricket that we have and also a little bit on the IPL."
Dravid highlighted the importance of players being adaptable in situations where they may not get many opportunities to play together as a unit.
“We might not get too many chances to play together, so we will have to work around that. You just need to adapt and be flexible. We had a good preparation leading into the one-day WC. Even in the last T20I World Cup, we had a lot of games together as a group. This time we won't have that (many matches) probably, but it is all about adapting while going ahead,” he remarked.
Key players such as Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Ravindra Jadeja will not be featuring in the T20I series against Afghanistan.
The absence of these players provides an opportunity for other squad members to prove their worth and strengthen their claim for a spot in the T20 World Cup squad. It also shows the team management's plan to manage the workload of premier players.
“It is impossible for all the players to play all the time, especially for the players who are playing all the three formats. We had to prioritise what is important. Bumrah, Siraj and Jadeja have missed out from this series because keeping in mind the five-Test home series against England. So, we are always playing that juggling act a little bit over the last two years,” Dravid concluded.
(With PTI inputs)