(Image source from: Facebook.com/IndianCricketTeam)
The Indian cricket board has decided to give Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah a much-needed break before the upcoming busy season. These star players will not be part of the Indian team's tour of Sri Lanka later this month, which includes three ODIs and three T20Is. The board wants them to rest and recharge their batteries before the full-fledged cricket season resumes in September. Sharma and Kohli have retired from T20Is after the recent World Cup, while Bumrah will continue playing the format for India. The upcoming schedule is packed, with Bangladesh visiting India for two Tests and three T20Is starting on September 19. After that, the Indian team will host New Zealand at home from October 16 to November 5 for three Test matches. The selection committee is set to meet next week to finalize the squad for the Sri Lanka tour, which will be led by other senior players. The board believes that allowing the trio to take some time off now will help them be fresh and fully prepared for the challenging season ahead.
The Indian cricket team is set to play four T20I matches between November 8 and 15, followed by a five-match Test series against Australia starting on November 22. Meanwhile, the Indian board is preparing to invite applications for the team's support staff as the tenures of the current batting, bowling, and fielding coaches have ended after the T20 World Cup. The Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) has already interviewed two candidates, Gautam Gambhir and WV Raman, for the position of head coach, and an official announcement is expected soon. Gambhir is the frontrunner for the role, and the delay in the announcement is due to the final stages of salary negotiations between the board and the former left-handed opening batsman. BCCI secretary Jay Shah has confirmed that the new coach will join the Indian team starting from the Sri Lanka series. It is understood that the board will give Gambhir the freedom to choose his own support staff. Given Gambhir's successful career as an opening batsman across formats, it is uncertain whether the Indian team will have a dedicated batting coach going forward.
