File image Shubman Gill with Hardik Pandya.©AFP
India’s T20 captain Hardik Pandya could be given a break from the three-match series against Ireland that begins on August 18 as part of managing the workload in a busy year with the Asian Cup and big ODI World Cup at home, BCCI sources said. Even Shubman Gill, who is now an automatic choice between three formats, could rest easy with the global event in mind.
29-year-old Pandya is one of the key members of the Indian ODI team and his all-round prowess adds the necessary balance to the squad and therefore the team management and national selection panel are expected to treat him with care.
“Nothing is final yet and it will also depend on how Hardik feels after the one hit wonders and T20s in the West Indies. There will be travel involved and only a short turnaround of three days before one flies from Florida to Dublin.
“Because the World Cup is of primary importance, one has to consider his workload. Let’s not forget that he will be Rohit’s deputy in the World Cup,” a BCCI source told PTI on condition of anonymity.
Pandya is expected to play a key role in India’s white-ball leg of West Indies tour, where the team will play eight international matches in 18 days in three Caribbean countries and the United States.
India will play three ODIs and five T20Is against the West Indies between July 27 and August 13 in Bridgetown (Barbados), Tarouba (Trinidad), Georgetown (Guyana) and Florida (United States).
In Ireland, India will play three T20s in the space of five days (18, 20 and 23 August) and if Pandya flies from the US to Ireland and then to India before flying to Colombo for the Asia Cup, the workload will be huge.
When workload is measured, training sessions are even taken into account: the duration of batting or the number of overs sent down while bowling.
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