BCCI chief selector Agarkar to meet Dravid, Rohit in West Indies: Bumrah, Rahul’s fitness, World Cup squad on agenda

With about two and a half months only to go for the ICC World Cup 2023 – the tournament begins on October 5 and India start their campaign against Australia on October 8 – BCCI chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar, is set to travel to the West Indies to meet India head coach Rahul Dravid, captain Rohit Sharma and the senior members of the team management to chalk out a roadmap for the marquee event.

The Indian side is currently in Trinidad, preparing for the second Test match against the West Indies after beating them quite comfortably by an innings and 141 runs in the first Test in Dominica.

The senior members of the team will also be a part of the three-match ODI series before making way for a young side under Hardik Pandya for a five-match T20I series.

Before that, Agarkar, who was appointed as the chief selector of the senior men’s cricket team earlier this month, wants to have a face-to-face interaction with Dravid and Rohit to finalise a core group of 20 players for the World Cup. The former India pacer is set to join the team ahead of the ODI series starting July 27.

“Currently Salil Ankola is in the West Indies but he will be back after the Test series gets over. Ajit will be joining the team before the start of the white ball leg,” a BCCI source in the know of things told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

It is unlikely that there will be any surprises in India’s core group of 20 players – the 15-member squad and standby players – for the World Cup considering the fact that an entire batch of promising youngsters will be busy playing the Asian Games in September-October this year. That squad will be led by Ruturaj Gaikwad.

Final call on Jasprit Bumrah and KL Rahul

It is understood that there will be elaborate discussions on Jasprit Bumrah’s fitness status and whether he will be able to go to Ireland for three-match T20 series or not. The premier fast bowler has not played competitive cricket since his brief return to international cricket in a T20I series against Australia at home last year. Bumrah also missed the last edition of the Asia Cup and the T20 World Cup in Australia.

The right-arm pacer has, however, started to bowl at full tilt at the National Cricket Academy but is yet to receive an RTP (Return to Play) certificate from the National Cricket Academy’s Sport Science and Medical Unit.

Another key member of the side, KL Rahul, has just started to take throwdowns after recovering from a thigh injury he suffered during IPL 2023 and also required surgery. Rahul is unlikely to take part in the Ireland series but Agarkar, Dravid and Rohit will need to take a call on the keeper-batter and Bumrah for the Asia Cup in September. The multi-nation tournament is set to give a much clearer idea about India’s squad for the World Cup.

The transition phase of ODI and Test side

A discussion is also likely about the transition of the India side in ODIs and Tests. Many believe the transition phase has already begun with India deciding to drop Cheteshwar Pujara and Umesh Yadav for the West Indies series but depending on the result of ODI World Cup, a similar sort of change can also take place for ODIs.

Laxman to coach in Ireland series

Meanwhile, VVS Laxman will once again take the second-string team to Ireland as it has been the norm for short tours where Dravid is rested as the turnaround between West Indies and Ireland tour is short.

There aren’t any rules but the convention in BCCI is that for second-string tours or A series, the NCA head doubles up as coach.

Dravid used to do that earlier and now Laxman does it.