Ind vs WI: Team India is all set to play its next series against West Indies from July 12. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has also announced the schedule for India's tour of the West Indies. A total of eight matches will be played in the series which will last for a month.
In the new schedule of Team India, some players, who performed fiercely in IPL 2023, are likely to make their debut. Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jitesh Sharma and Rinku Singh are in contention to replace some existing players in Team India.
The move may come due to India's second successive World Test Championship final defeat. Senior players Cheteshwar Pujara and Umesh Yadav's places could come under the scanner before the team travels to West Indies for a two-Test series.
India will have a month-long tour of West Indies where they would start with two Test matches starting July 12, followed by three ODIs and five T20Is. While another WTC final defeat will hurt the team, there is a strong feeling that the Shiv Sunder Das-led selection committee and head coach Rahul Dravid will be looking at some options going into the next WTC cycle, which starts with the series in the Caribbean.
The two weak links as of now seem to be Pujara and Umesh, who haven't been up to the mark for a long time. "You need to strike a balance. Selection is a process of elimination but you need that blend of youth and experience. The idea should be long-term and you have to look at two- year cycle now.
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"I believe Yashasvi Jaiswal is ready for international cricket. He has scored double hundreds in Ranji, Irani and Duleep Trophy. Looks solid in terms of temperament and could be groomed while being given enough chances to grow," former national selector Devang Gandhi told PTI.
Rinku, Jitesh in line for T20I selection
One format where there won't be any ambiguity is T20 Internationals where Hardik Pandya will lead India, including in next year's T20 World Cup in the Americas (West Indies and USA). The T20I team would be purely based on IPL performers and one can expect the likes of Rinku Singh and Jitesh Sharma to make the cut in the final squad, as teams in the past lacked finishers.
Ruturaj Gaikwad's comeback and Yashasvi Jaiswal's inclusions also look imminent while Mohit Sharma could earn a well-deserved comeback after his 27 wickets in last IPL. While Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are being phased out of the shortest format, the likes of Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj could be rested considering their workload and the upcoming ODIs before the World Cup.
(With inputs from PTI)
