Team India lost their second successive World Test Championship (WTC) final, this time against Australia, last week at the Oval in London. Since then, several players' spot has come under the scanner. Batters didn't live up to the expectations with underwhelming scores in both innings of the final and eventually lost the Test by a massive 209 runs. While reports have suggested that Cheteshwar Pujara and Umesh Yadav might be left out for West Indies Tests, wicketkeeper-batter KS Bharat look set to be dropped.
The cricketer from Andhra Pradesh has been picked in the South Zone squad for the upcoming Duleep Trophy that is set to begin from June 28. South Zone made it to the final of the tournament last year along with West Zone and hence, both teams have directly qualified to the semifinal this time around. Accordingly, the remaining four teams - North Zone, East Zone, Central Zone and North-East Zone - will lock horns in two quarterfinals to face the aforementioned in the semis.
Going by this format, the semi-final of Duleep Trophy will commence only around June 4 or 5 with the encounter concluding on 7 or 8 June. The first Test of the two-match Test series between India and West Indies is set to commence on July 12 in Dominica. Team India might leave for the Caribbean at least a week before the Test series begins and this clearly states that KS Bharat is set to be dropped from the team.
The man hasn't contributed much with the bat in five Tests he has played so far for India. Bharat has mustered only 129 runs at an underwhelming average of 18.42 with no fifty or century to his name. Having said that, the man has performed his wicketkeeping duties brilliantly and impressed in the WTC Final. But the days are gone by when wicketkeeping was a specialist role and Bharat's underwhelming batting returns might have already led to his axe from the Indian team.
Things might get even more clear when the selection committee meets to pick the Test squad soon for the upcoming West Indies tour. Apart from two Tests, team India is also scheduled to play three ODIs and five T20Is against the West Indies.
