Recently, it was reported that the BCCI is planning to build a pool of 30-35 players to field two competitive T20I sides simultaneously, driven by the need to manage overlapping international commitments.

The Asian Games will clash with India’s scheduled home T20I series against the West Indies later this year.

However, legendary spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has strongly opposed the idea, arguing that it devalues the prestige of India cap.

“What is the value of the India cap then? What respect will it have? You need a moment of pride to wear the India cap. Why are you playing cricket? Because you are representing so many Indian public, they are watching, everyone praises our cricket, and you wish to debut in front of your fans and play all the formats. All of this definitely plays on the mind. It happens a lot now that people are making their debuts somewhere or the other, and people forget about it,” Ashwin said while speaking on his YouTube channel.

Ashwin advocated for using India A tours to groom emerging talent and provide international exposure instead of handing out senior caps. He even suggested these tours be televised to engage fans without diluting the senior team's status.

“There must be a value for the India cap. If you want to give them exposure, send them on India A tours. You cannot just dish out India caps just like that. Telecast the India A tours as well, people will watch and have fun. But you cannot just distribute India caps for free. It has to be valued,” he added.

“Indian cricket is rich with talent – that’s a good thing. But the India cap should always be handed out with care,” Ashwin said.

On Monday (April 20), NDTV reported that the BCCI is actively planning for parallel assignments this year and in the future, considering that T20 format is now a part of multi discipline sporting fixtures, including the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

India will play a two-match T20I series in Belfast on June 26 and 28, 2026. The Men in Blue will also face Afghanistan in three T20Is in September, though the schedule for the series is yet to be finalised.

Cricket at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, will be held from September 17 to October 3. India will enter the continental showpiece as the defending gold medalist in both the men’s and women’s categories.

The high volume of match-ready performers produced by the IPL will allow selectors to expand beyond a single core squad, providing the depth needed for simultaneous, high-stake assignments.

According to the report, the names under consideration in the batting department are Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Priyansh Arya and Angkrish Raghuvanshi. The likes of Rajat Patidar and Ayush Badoni are also in contention.

Shreyas Iyer, who has been leading Punjab Kings brilliantly for the last two seasons, is the prime candidate to captain one of the T20I teams.

The all-rounder slot could open up doors for Shashank Singh and Anukul Roy. The pace department is likely to include Khaleel Ahmed, Prasidh Krishna, Ashok Sharma, and Kartik Tyagi. Ravi Bishnoi is highlighted as a primary spin option.

Dhruv Jurel, representing Rajasthan Royals in the ongoing IPL, is considered one of the top contenders for the wicketkeeper-batter role.