The Cricket Advisory Committee comprising Ms Sulakshana Naik and RP Singh unanimously appointed Rahul Dravid as the Head Coach of Team India (Senior Men). The former India captain will take charge from the upcoming home series against New Zealand. The Board congratulates Ravi Mr Shastri (former Team Director & Head Coach), B. Arun (Bowling Coach), R Sridhar (Fielding Coach) and Vikram Rathour (Batting Coach) on a successful tenure. Under Shastri, India became the first Asian team to win a Test series in Australia (2018-19) and followed it with another series win in 2020-21. India were also the first team to win all 5 T20Is in a bilateral series when it blanked New Zealand 5-0. Under Shastri and his team’s guidance, India won all their seven Test series at home.
Rohit Sharma is new T20 captain
Rohit Sharma, the white-ball captain-in-waiting for a while now, has finally been handed the baton in T20 cricket. It has passed from Virat Kohli, his teammate for close to a decade now and captain since 2017. This had been the writing on the wall for close to six months now. The BCCI announced a 16-member squad for the three-match T20 series against New Zealand, giving the captaincy to Sharma and making opening partner KL Rahul his deputy.
Outgoing T20 skipper Virat Kohli has taken a break for the series and will be back for the Tests against New Zealand to be ready in time for the tour of South Africa later this year.
The baton in One-day cricket too could be passed on to Sharma, but the announcement will take some time to come. The BCCI has decided that white-ball captaincy cannot be split and therefore, they are left with no choice but to have a chat with Kohli on the issue.
The Sharma-Dravid pair will together plan and shape India’s campaign in the 2022 edition of the T20 World Cup and most likely the 2023 edition of the 50-over World Cup. Rahul, who has been announced as Rohit’s deputy, may continue in the same role in the 50-over format too.
Along with Kohli, some other seniors like Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and spinner Ravindra Jadeja have also been given much-needed rest from the three-match series against New Zealand starting November 17 in Jaipur. The new-look team also has IPL’s highest run-getter Ruturaj Gaikwad and top wicket-taker Harshal Patel in the squad of 16 along with Venkatesh Iyer, who is seen as a potential allround replacement for the injury ravaged Hardik Pandya.
Pandya has been dropped from the squad after failing to make an impact during the T20 World Cup. Ruturaj has already played for India in the Sri Lanka series. Senior leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal rightfully got his place in the squad back while Mohammed Siraj, who has played a few T20Is in the past, is also in the mix. Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel and Deepak Chahar, who were in the T20 World Cup reserves are now in the main squad.
India’s T20I squad: Rohit Sharma (Captain), KL Rahul (Vice-Captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Venkatesh Iyer, Yuzvendra Chahal, R Ashwin, Axar Patel, Avesh Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Deepak Chahar, Harshal Patel, Mohd. Siraj.
Rahane to lead 1st test
Virat Kohli has been rested for the first Test against New Zealand but will return to lead the team in the second. Rohit, who will be leading the team in the T20I series against the Blackcaps, has been rested from the two-Test series along with Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant, Mohammed Shami and Shardul Thakur.
In Virat Kohli's absence, vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane will captain the side in the opening Test to be played at Green Park in Kanpur from November 25 to 29. In the absence of some big stars, a few new faces have been included in the Test squad for the New Zealand series.
KS Bharat, who impressed for the RCB in the second leg of IPL 2021, has been included. Uncapped pacer Prasidh Krishna could also get a chance to make his Test debut, depending on the team composition.
India squad: Ajinkya Rahane (Captain), KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara (vice-captain), Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Wriddhiman Saha (wicketkeeper), KS Bharat (wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Jayant Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna.
