Indian Test skipper Virat Kohli will be taking a rest in the upcoming three-match T20I series against New Zealand starting November 17 at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium in Jaipur. He would also not be part of the Kanpur Test which would be played in Green Park from November 25 and would only join the side in the second Test scheduled to start from December 3 in Wankhede.
Meanwhile reports also suggest that Rohit Sharma, the current Indian vice-captain for white-ball cricket, will lead the T20I team in the three-match series with most of the players, who were part of the T20 World Cup squad. But certain inclusions and exclusions to counter the bio-bubble fatigue are likely to be made.
While KL Rahul is likely to get the vice-captaincy in the shortest format, Ajinkya Rahane will lead the team in the first Test. The two Tests are part of the World Test Championship and mark the beginning of New Zealand’s title defence.
Varun Chakravarthy is likely to get an axe while Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Shami might be rested for the T20Is to remain fresh for the Test series. Thus Harshal Patel and Kartik Tyagi along with Arshdeep Singh might come into the reckoning.
The decision on Virat Kohli’s captaincy in the 50-over format will not be taken now as ODI has no relevance as of now and it will be confirmed after the announcement of India’s squad to South Africa, a series scheduled in December.