With the T20I series between India and Afghanistan scheduled to begin on the 11th of January, the selection panel for the men in blue, spearheaded by former Indian pacer Ajith Agarkar, will have to carefully consider their player lineups to don the famous national kit in the year of the ICC T20I World Cup.
It is understood that star players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are both focused on the ICC spectacle in June and will look to get some time in the middle in the limited-over format, without overloading their calendars.
The two national selectors, Shiv Sunder Das and Salil Ankola are both here and will be joined by their chairman Agarkar during the course of the second Test at Newlands.
It is expected that Agarkar and Co will speak to head coach Rahul Dravid along with Test and ODI skipper Rohit, star batter Kohli before announcing the squad against Afghanistan.
Around 30 T20 specialists, including India and IPL stars, will be monitored ahead of the ICC event in Caribbean and United States.
It remains to be seen whether Agarkar and his colleagues select both Rohit and Kohli for the short series starting January 11 in Mohali or directly check their form and fitness during IPL.
The two contemporary legends have apparently made it clear that they would very much like to be part of the T20 World Cup.
With England Tests starting in Hyderabad from January 25, it is unlikely that even if Rohit and Virat are selected, they would play beyond a couple of matches.
“Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya aren’t fit. The Afghanistan series won’t tell you anything. Everything will be decided on the basis of the first month of IPL,” a senior BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
Monitoring Core Group During IPL
The BCCI brass knows that they can’t tell any franchise to optimally use a potential pick for the T20 World Cup which will be held in June-July after IPL concludes in last week of May.
“The BCCI can never tell a franchise to manage a star player’s workload unless it’s a case of injury management,” the source added.
So there is a possibility that at least 25 to 30 players are zeroed in and monitored closely during the two months of IPL.
There could be a case of injury or fitness issue during the IPL and the selection committee would need two players for each slot so that the like-for-like replacement is ready.
The only player whose ready replacement won’t be available is Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya.
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