Rahul Dravid will be attending the Indian selection committee meeting in New Delhi on Monday (August 21) to decide on the team for the Asia Cup.
Head coach, Rahul Dravid, has been asked to attend the selection meeting, days after he caught up with BCCI secretary Jay Shah to decide the roadmap for the World Cup.
India captain, Rohit Sharma, will also be present along with the selectors. They are expected to plan for the Asia Cup and the upcoming World Cup.
It's uncommon for a head coach to be part of a selection committee meeting, with former coach Ravi Shastri not attending them.
However, due to the hectic schedule ahead, the Board thought it necessary to involve Dravid. With Ajit Agarkar recently taking on the role of chairman of selectors, Dravid's presence could be beneficial.
The team for both the Asia Cup and the World Cup is likely to stay the same, with some small yet necessary changes for the championship in October and November. India will have nine matches – six in the Asia Cup and three against Australia – before the World Cup to fix their final combination.
Jasprit Bumrah's recovery from a back injury solves one of the selection challenges. However, the selectors will likely take a close look at Prasidh Krishna, another returning fast bowler who, like Bumrah, overcame a long injury break.
There are enough options for bowling – both spin and pace – in front of the selectors, with Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami as automatic choices. Shardul Thakur is also likely to secure a place as a pace-bowling all-rounder, alongside Hardik Pandya.
Also read: Is Jasprit Bumrah’s bowling action to blame for his injuries? Glenn McGrath weighs win
Rahul Dravid facing spin conundrum
There have been suggestions to include Ravichandran Ashwin in the World Cup team. The experienced spinner's potential inclusion has been recommended by MSK Prasad, a former chairman of selectors.
Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav appear to be sure picks, leaving the selectors to decide between Axar Patel, Ashwin, and Yuzvendra Chahal. Dravid is expected to have a day in deciding the final bowling combination.
India's traditional batting depth might not be as strong as before, potentially relying heavily on Rohit and Virat Kohli for runs. While Shubman Gill has shown potential, the same level of certainty doesn't extend to Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan in the ODI format.
Tilak Varma shows promise but is considered relatively new to significant challenges.
Sandeep Patil, however, has voiced his intention to pick both Suryakumar and Varma.
He stated, “Without a doubt (if India should give a debut to Tilak Varma) I will choose Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav. Who will be part of the playing XI can be decided later, based on balance and the opponent. But Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav will both be in my team,” the former chairman of selectors recently shared with Star Sports.
As for KL Rahul, reports suggest he is fit and ready to regain his spot in the Indian team.
Formal approval from the National Cricket Academy (NCA) management is awaited by the BCCI.
Before the Asia Cup, the players will come together in Bengaluru for a week-long training camp starting on August 24, before heading to Sri Lanka.
