Hardik Pandya, Ishan Kishan and other T20 specialists have been given a three-day break by the BCCI and will leave Ireland at a later date for the two-match T20I series this month. The Board has taken the decision to give rest to the players while coach Rahul Dravid, Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant have taken the early morning flight to London.
The All-India Senior Selection Committee had picked a 17-member squad for the T20I series against Ireland where Team India under Hardik Pandya will play two T20Is on June 26th and 28th in Dublin.
"All the players selected for the Ireland T20s are going home for a three-day break. Although there is no bio-bubble they didn't have families with them for the series and some are playing non-stop since IPL. It's only fair that they spend some time at home," a BCCI official said.
| India’s T20I squad: Hardik Pandya (Captain), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (vice-captain), Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav, Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Dinesh Karthik (wicket-keeper), Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik |
The team will assemble in Mumbai on June 23 along with NCA head VVS Laxman and his support staff.
"Laxman and the players will be in Mumbai by 23rd and they will leave the next day for Dublin. Since they are already coming from a series, you don't need time to get into the groove. Also it's a two-match series, so you won't be needing a lot of time to acclimatise," the official said.
The T20I party, after playing the two games in Malahide on June 26 and 28, will move to the UK for T20 practice matches, which will coincide with the Test team's 'fifth' game from last year in Edgbaston from July 1-5.
However, it is understood that not all the players in the current T20I set-up will be retained for the England tour, as many regulars will be making a comeback in the team.
"By the time the England white-ball series starts, you will see all the stars playing till the T20 World Cup. There will be no break from thereon save smaller series like Zimbabwe.
"Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja will all be back in the mix. Only person missing out for the time being is KL Rahul.
So a few of the current top-order players (playing versus South Africa), fringe pacers or an odd spinner might miss out," the official said.
(Inputs PTI)
