Ahead of India's two-Test tour of New Zealand starting November 15, the team management and selection committee have dictated that all Test hopefuls must play for their respective states in the upcoming Ranji Trophy domestic tournament to prepare, TOI reported.
According to the report, head coach Gautam Gambhir and the selectors held a long discussion on the eve of the second ODI against the West Indies, scheduled for September 30 in Guwahati.
The 2026-27 Ranji Trophy season is slated to get underway on October 11. Senior players—including captain Shubman Gill and vice-captain KL Rahul—are expected to feature in at least one group-stage fixture to build up red-ball bowling and batting workloads, provided they are cleared by the medical team.
"The match and the number of matches they play will depend on the medical team's clearance, keeping the workload and assignments in mind. We must factor in that some players participate in two formats. Accordingly, a decision will be made, but participation will not be compromised. All senior players, including the captain, are expected to play at least one game provided there are no medical/workload concerns," the publication quoted an official tracking developments.
The report further claims that the team management wants pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah to bowl an adequate number of red-ball overs to build physical readiness. However, logistics are a constraint, as India's ODI series kicks off on November 4 in Auckland.
The two primary routes on the table include appearing in a Ranji Trophy fixture for his domestic side, Gujarat or joining the India A squad for their three-match shadow tour in New Zealand, which begins on October 24.
Because the India A four-day fixtures run concurrently with the senior team's T20I leg, this creates a tight window for Bumrah to fly out early, squeeze in red-ball volume, and transition cleanly before multi-format workloads intensify.
Alongside Bumrah, five other core fast bowlers—Mohammed Siraj, Gurnoor Brar, Prasidh Krishna, Auqib Nabi and Akash Deep—will be instructed to get multi-day match overs under their belt.
(With TOI Inputs)
