Picture Credit: BCCI
If the latest reports are to be believed, the senior players like Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, and Rishabh Pant are likely to be rested for the 5-match T20I series against South Africa slated to be played from June 9 to June 19.
On May 14, a BCCI source has hinted at the fact that the selectors want their key players to be fresh ahead of the England series, which will consist of a one-off Test, three T20Is, and three ODIs as well and will be played in July-August.
"All the senior India players will get at least three and half weeks of complete rest. Rohit, Virat, KL, Rishabh and Jasprit will all directly go to England for the 'fifth Test' following the white-ball series. We need all our key players to remain fresh for the England series," a senior BCCI source told PTI on the condition of anonymity.”
It is evident that the IPL 2022 will be played until 29 May, and the first fixture of the South Africa series will begin on June 9 in Delhi, which will evade the players for an optimum amount of rest. The squad for the South Africa series will be announced on May 22, which will also mark the end of the league stage matches of IPL.
According to PTI, the likes of Mohsin Khan, Harshal Patel, and Avesh Khan are expected to be named in the squad, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Prasidh Krishna as the other pacers. All these bowlers have been impressive in the ongoing season of IPL, with Mohsin Khan displaying his variations and wicket-taking abilities.
In the batting department, it will be some straightforward choice, with Ruturaj Gaikwad and Sanju Samson earning a place in the team. In the spin department, the in-form spinners Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, and Kuldeep Yadav might be given an opportunity.
The BCCI source also opined on the captain’s choices and thinks it will be a toss-up between Shikhar Dhawan and Hardik Pandya.
"The selectors have a couple of choices. Shikhar Dhawan, as he has already captained India in absence of Virat, Rohit, and Rahul during last year's Sri Lanka series. But Hardik Pandya's impressive captaincy for Gujarat Titans hasn't gone unnoticed. So it will be a close call," the official added.
Probable Squad: Shikhar Dhawan, Hardik Pandya, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Sanju Samson, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Prasidh Krishna, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan, Mohsin Khan, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravichandran Ashwin