Amid talk of Jasprit Bumrah possibly being rested for the two-match Test series against Bangladesh, the marquee pacer surprisingly found a place in the squad for the first Test. Wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant also marked his return to the Test team after almost 20 months of absence as India announced their 16-man squad for the series opener on Sunday. While some big names returned to the squad, a few prominent names were also missing out. However, another decision by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) selection committee that raised eyebrows was the absence of a designated vice-captain.
When India faced England in their last Test match, Jasprit Bumrah was appointed vice-captain. However, this time no such role was assigned by the selection committee, leaving fans wondering what has changed.
Bumrah is seen as one of the leaders in the team, alongside the likes of KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant and Virat Kohli. While Kohli is not officially seeking a leadership role, Rahul and Pant are also vying for India's long-term captaincy in the whites. However, none of them is a designated vice-captain for the Bangladesh Tests.
The board also did not give any explanation for the decision not to appoint a vice-captain. India captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Gautam Gambhir are expected to ask this question during their press conference ahead of the start of the Bangladesh Test series.
Indian squad for first Test in Bangladesh
Virat Kohli also made a comeback after missing the five-Test series against England at home earlier this year as he took a break for the birth of his second child. While fast bowler Mohammed Shami is still on the comeback trail and was left out of the squad, uncapped left-hander Uttar Pradesh fast bowler Yash Dayal received his first Test call-up.
After playing in the second and final Test against Bangladesh in Mirpur from December 22-25, 2022, Pant was involved in a road accident a few days later on December 30 and made his comeback to top-flight cricket this year, only in the IPL.
Shami failed to make it into the Test squad despite selection committee chairman Ajit Agarkar having earlier indicated that the right-handed bowler was targeting a comeback in the first Test match against Bangladesh.
Dayal, who was once defeated five times in succession by Rinku Singh in an IPL match, has now found a remarkable revenge with his India call-up.
KL Rahul, who suffered a right quadriceps injury after the first Test against England in Hyderabad, also returned to the Test team. He scored 37 and a gutsy 57 for India A against India B in the Duleep Trophy match in Bengaluru that concluded on Sunday.
Wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel, who produced strong performances against England, including match-winning knocks of 90 and 39 not out in the Ranchi Test, retained his place.
Bengal right-hander Akash Deep, who made his Test debut against England in Ranchi with an impressive three-wicket haul, took nine wickets in the Duleep Trophy match for India A against India B in Bengaluru.
Indian squad for first Test against Bangladesh: Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep , Jasprit Bumrah, Yash Dayal.
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