Post the ICC World Cup 2023, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is set to meet up with the selection committee to discuss the pathway for the next four years for the Indian team in all three formats.
India’s next big assignment will be the tour of South Africa where they will play 2 Tests, 3 ODIs, and 3 T20Is in December-January. This means there will reportedly be a discussion about the future of some of the players in Test format.
One player who is in danger of losing his spot in the red-ball format is Ajinkya Rahane. Incidentally, Rahane was recalled for the West Indies Test tour earlier this year and even made vice-captain. But as per a report, the selectors are not keen on retaining the Mumbai batter for the South Africa Tests.
Rahane was recalled as India was missing quite a lot of first-choice players in Tests due to injuries. But with Yashashvi Jaiswal doing well at the top, Shubman Gill moving to the no.3 spot and Shreyas Iyer returning from his back injury, the BCCI selection committee is set to move on from Rahane.
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“The selection committee is very clear that it wants to groom players who will play together here for a longer period. With Shreyas Iyer coming back into Test reckoning and Shubman Gill batting at No. 3, there is little scope for Rahane. KL Rahul too could be considered for the Test matches as he could be a backup wicketkeeping option,” a BCCI source told Times of India.
Another concern is when Hardik Pandya will return from his ankle injury. Pandya had damaged ligaments in his left ankle during the ICC World Cup 2023 match against Bangladesh in Pune and since then, has been on rest.
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India’s preparations for the T20 World Cup are likely to be hampered with Hardik Pandya, who has been captaining India in T20Is since last year, likely to be out of international cricket till the end of January.
The source confirmed that Hardik Pandya will not attain match fitness till January and this means, a new captain will have to take over for the South Africa series and also at home for three T20Is against Afghanistan.
Pandya is most likely to return to action in IPL 2024, where he captains Gujarat Titans.
(Times of India report)
