KL Rahul Likely To Lead India Against New Zealand: Reports

As per reports in ANI, KL Rahul is likely to lead a young Indian team against New Zealand. India play three T20Is and a couple of Tests three days after the culmination of the ICC T20 World Cup in Dubai against New Zealand. It is expected that the senior players in the side are expected to take a break with the captaincy responsibility falling on Rahul’s shoulders. As said earlier, Virat Kohli will be stepping down as India’s T20I skipper after the T20 World Cup.

The Indian selectors are set to meet in the next couple of days to pick the T20I squad and Kohli’s successor in the shortest format. The first T20I will be played in Jaipur on November 17 with the next two at Ranchi and Kolkata on November 19 and 21 respectively. A BCCI official said that fans are likely to be back in the stadiums for the series. He also hinted at Rahul being given the captaincy duties for the bilateral series.

KL Rahul Is An Integral Part Of India’s T20 Structure: BCCI Official

”The seniors would need a breather and it is no secret that Rahul is an integral part of the team’s T20 structure. He is almost certain to lead,” the source close to the BCCI was quoted as saying by ANI.

“Yes, we will have fans coming in, but it won’t be full capacity. We will work closely with the local authorities and plan the way forward,” a BCCI official further said.

The senior players are expected to take a rest allowing the young players top feature in the series. The likes of Prithvi Shaw, Rututaj Gaikwad, Mayank Agarwal are in contention for a recall in the side.

Among the bowlers, Yuzvendra Chahal is expected to make a comeback after missing out from the T20 World Cup. Young spinner Ravi Bishnli could also come into the picture. The likes of Avesh Khan, Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh are expected to be a part of India’s pace attack.

Meanwhile, Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah spoke about the players needing a break at the post-match press conference after the New Zealand game. He said that continuous cricket along with the bubble life has taken a toll on the players which is why they are unable to perform to their best potential in the tournament so far.

“Absolutely, sometime as you need a break. You miss your family. You’ve been on the road for six months. Obviously staying in a bubble and staying away from your family for such a long period of time does play a role. The BCCI also tried their best to make us feel comfortable … It’s a difficult time. There’s a pandemic going on, so we try to adapt but sometimes bubble fatigue, mental fatigue also creeps in,” Bumrah had said in the presser.

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