After the conclusion of the ICC World Cup 2019, Team India is scheduled to be paying a visit to the Caribbean and United States of America for a full tour including two Tests, three ODIs and three T20Is, which will be played in the USA, starting August 3.
The two-Test series between the two sides will be played under the ICC Test championship. However, it has been reported that Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah will not be a part of the limited-overs leg of the tour, but will be back for the Test series.
“Virat and Jasprit will certainly be rested for the three-match T20Is and three-match ODI series. Virat has been playing since the start of Australia series and Bumrah’s workload management is also paramount. They will join the team before the Test series,” a senior BCCI official told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
Apart from Kohli and Bumrah, there are chances of other players being rested for the limited overs leg as well, after a grueling 2019 which has seen Indian players playing non-stop in Australia, New Zealand, the IPL 2019 and then the ICC World Cup. If India makes it to the finals, then the key players will be playing till July 14 and it would be necessary to give the premier batsmen and some fast bowlers adequate rest.
BCCI has even worked out the itinerary with the West Indies board and the Tests which were earlier scheduled before the limited overs matches were moved to a later date. “With the first Test in Antigua starting August 22, there would be enough time for the key members in the World Cup squad to get much-needed rest,” he said.
It is expected that Kohli and Bumrah will join the squad before the three-day practice game in Antigua from August 17-19. The selection committee feels that the warmup game should be used wisely, given that Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw, and Hanuma Vihari will be playing A games in West Indies before the tour begins.
The West Indies series will also mark a shift in focus for the outgoing selection panel, which will start the process of T20 team selection keeping in mind next year’s World T20 in Australia. Chances are that the likes of Krunal Pandya, Sanju Samson, Rahul Chahar, and Shreyas Iyer might be given a go in T20 games.
In the three-match T20 series, the first two games will be played at Fort Lauderhill in Florida on August 3 and 4.
(PTI inputs)
