The BCCI selection committee is reportedly leaving the task of picking the India ODI and Test squads for the upcoming New Zealand tour as late as possible, as they wait for the fitness updates of keeper-batter Rishabh Pant and pacers Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana.
India is to play five T20Is, five ODIs, and two Tests on their tour of New Zealand, and the Men in Blue T20I squad was announced a few days ago. The tour will begin on October 22 with the T20I series, while the ODI series begins on November 1, and the Test series will begin on November 19.
As per a Times of India report, Prasidh Krishna, who was pulled out of the second ODI against the West Indies due to an injury issue on September 30, has been given a three-week timeline when he reports to the Centre of Excellence (CoE).
On the other hand, Harshit Rana, who has been at the CoE since July, is set to undergo a return-to-play match simulation on October 25 before the ODI and Test squads are expected to fly out on October 28, with the ODI series scheduled to start on Nov 4.
Rishabh Pant was included in the India A squad for the four-day games in New Zealand, but on Monday, the BCCI announced that Pant will not be available for the first two India ‘A’ four-day matches starting on Oct 24 due to a side strain he picked up in the Irani Cup match.
The CoE has taken a careful approach to clearing players following rehabilitation, according to the report. According to sources who spoke to TOI, Krishna complained of some soreness in his left hamstring; therefore, the Indian team management decided to remove him as a precaution after he bowled five overs in Guwahati.
“With both Pant and Krishna, the injuries don’t look severe at the outset. But the CoE doesn’t want to take any chances. That’s why both of them were given three-week timelines when they reported to CoE. The selectors and team management are keen to have Rana in both formats, and he is seen as a perfect fit as the seam-bowling allrounder batting at No. 8,” a BCCI source told Times of India.
Krishna is a primary member of the India Test and ODI squads, while Pant is the middle-order mainstay of the Indian Test team. In order to establish a rhythm before the Tests, Pant had requested playing time with the India "A" team.
After the third India "A" four-day match concludes on November 10, the Test team is anticipated to play a warm-up match prior to the first Test.
The report also revealed that Bhuvneshwar Kumar is also training at the CoE in Bengaluru. Kumar, who was included in the Indian T20I squad for the first time since 2022, has been designing his training on the basis of the Indian Premier League.
However, since he will play international cricket after four years, Bhuvneshwar is at the CoE, intending to get back in shape for the rigours of international cricket.
