Shubman Gill, India's opener in white-ball cricket, is set to miss the Bangladesh T20I series that will follow the two-Test series starting on September 19. The Bangladesh team will arrive in India on Sunday for two Tests and three T20is.
Shubman Gill, who had played 21 T20Is for India, has a century, three fifties, and a strike rate of nearly 140. Gill also captained India in the T20I series recently in Zimbabwe, leading India to a 4-1 series win.
The India-Bangladesh series will begin with two Tests, which will be played in Chennai from September 19 and Kanpur from September 27. The three T20Is will be played on October 7 (Gwalior), 10 (Delhi) and 13 (Hyderabad).
India is preparing for a busy Test season, beginning with the Bangladesh series. After Bangladesh, India will host New Zealand for three Tests. After that, India will travel to Australia for the five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2024-25.
These ten Test matches are critical for India's chances of qualifying for the World Test Championship (WTC 2025) final, which will be held at Lord's in June following year.
Keeping this in mind, India is set to rest a few Test regulars for the Bangladesh T20Is, as the format is of the least importance in the current time frame.
As part of the BCCI's workload management policy, key players such as opener Shubman Gill will rest for the three-match T20I series against Bangladesh, which begins on October 7.
Gill, India's No. 3 in Tests, is a critical member of the team's top order alongside Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Yashasvi Jaiswal, and is expected to play all 10 Tests this season. Aside from Gill, several other prominent players will be rested in preparation for the three-Test series against New Zealand.
"Yes, Shubman will be rested for the Bangladesh T20I series. If you look at the fixture, the three T20Is will be played on October 7 (Gwalior), 10 (Delhi) and 13 (Hyderabad). Now first Test vs New Zealand starts on October 16. So with a turnaround of three days, it is important to give Gill a break," a BCCI source told PTI.
It will be fascinating to see if Rishabh Pant plays T20Is, given his workload is important to selectors and he is required in longer forms. If Pant is rested, Ishan Kishan may be reconsidered after spending the past nine months in the international wilderness.
(PTI inputs)
