Team India: BCCI can give rest to big players before the World Cup, Shubman Gill's name also included in the list
BCCI is preparing to send B team once again in the series against Ireland.
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Team India will tour Ireland after playing two Tests, three ODIs and five T20s in the West Indies. India had also toured Ireland for a T20I series last year and the India B team under the captaincy of Hardik Pandya went to play that series. Now the BCCI is once again preparing to send India's B team on a tour of Ireland. India's West Indies tour ends on 13 August. Ireland's tour begins on August 18 and the Asia Cup is to begin later this month. In such a situation, the players will have very less time.
Due to paucity of time, BCCI wants to give rest to senior players on the tour of Ireland. Along with this, those players who play all three formats and are sure to play in the ODI World Cup will also be rested. After the Asia Cup, India also has to play the ODI World Cup. In this context, the fitness of all the players is important. Along with senior players like Rohit and Virat, Shubman Gill can also be rested as he is playing for the country in all three formats.
The 29-year-old Pandya is one of the key members of India's ODI team and his presence brings balance to the team. So the team management is taking special care of his workload and not putting extra pressure on him to maintain his fitness.
A BCCI source said, "Nothing has been decided yet and it will also depend on how Hardik feels after the ODIs and T20s in the West Indies. It involves travel and a flight from Florida to Dublin." There will be only a small change of three days before filling in. With the World Cup being the first priority, Hardik will have to keep his workload in mind. Let us not forget that he will be India's vice-captain in the World Cup."
Pandya is expected to play a key role in India's tour of the West Indies during the ODI and T20I series. Here the Indian team will play eight international matches in three Caribbean countries and America in 18 days. India will play three ODIs and five T20Is against the West Indies from July 27 to August 13 at Bridgetown (Barbados), Tarouba (Trinidad), Georgetown (Guyana) and Florida (USA). Next in Ireland, India play three T20Is in a span of five days (August 18, 20 and 23). If Pandya travels from the US to Ireland and then to India before leaving for Colombo for the Asia Cup, the workload will be immense.