Agarkar to meet Dravid, Rohit in WI: Bumrah fitness, World Cup squad on the agenda – Hindustan Times
With approximately two and a half months to go until the 2023 ICC World Cup, the tournament kicks off on October 5 and India begin their campaign against Australia on October 8 – BCCI selectors chairman, Ajit Agarkarwill travel to West Indies to meet India head coach Raul Dravid, Captain Rohit Sharma and senior members of the team management to map out a roadmap to the main event. The Indian side is currently in Trinidad, preparing for the second Test match against the West Indies after beating them handily by one inning and 141 runs in the first Test in Dominica.
Veteran members of the team will also be part of the three-match ODI series before giving way to a young team under Hardik Pandya for a five-match T20I series.
Before that, Agarkar, who was appointed head of selection for the senior men’s cricket team earlier this month, wants to have a face-to-face interaction with Dravid and Rohit to finalize a core group of 20 players for the World Cup. The former India pacer will join the team ahead of the ODI series starting on July 27.
“Currently, Salil Ankola is in the West Indies but he will return after the test series ends. Ajit will join the team before the start of the white ball stage,” a BCCI source familiar with the matter told PTI. . anonymity.
There are unlikely to be any surprises in India’s main group of 20 players (the 15-member squad and reserve players) for the World Cup, considering the fact that a whole group of promising youngsters will be busy playing the Asian Games. in September. October of this year. That squadron will be led by Ruturaj Gaikwad.
Final call to Jasprit Bumrah and KL Rahul
It is understood that there will be elaborate discussions about the fitness of Jasprit Bumrah and whether or not he will be able to go to Ireland for the three-match T20 series. The leading fast bowler has not played competitive cricket since his brief return to international cricket in a T20I series against Australia at home last year. Bumrah also missed the last edition of the Asian Cup and the T20 World Cup in Australia.
However, the right-arm pacer started bowling at full speed at the National Cricket Academy, but has yet to receive an RTP (Return to Play) certificate from the National Academy’s Sports Science and Medical Unit. from Cricket.
Another key member of the team, KL Rahul, has just started performing takedowns after recovering from a thigh injury he sustained during IPL 2023 which also required surgery. Rahul is unlikely to feature in the All-Ireland series, but Agarkar, Dravid and Rohit will need to call up the goalkeeper-batsman and Bumrah for the Asian Cup in September. The multinational tournament is set to give a much clearer idea about India’s team for the World Cup.
The transition phase of ODI and the Test side
There is also likely to be a discussion about the transition of the Indian side in ODIs and Tests. Many believe that the transition phase has already begun with India’s decision to leave Cheteshwar Pujara and Umesh Yadav for the West Indies series, but depending on the result of the ODI World Cup, a similar type of change may happen for ODIs as well.
Laxman will train in the Irish Series
Meanwhile, VVS Laxman he will once again take the second tier team to Ireland as it has been the norm for short tours where Dravid rests as the lead time between the West Indies and the tour of Ireland is short.
There are no rules, but the convention at BCCI is that for second line or series A tours, the NCA head doubles as coach.
Dravid used to do that before and now Laxman does.
