Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Oct 14: The Indian cricket team selection committee is likely to delay announcing the ODI and Test squads for the upcoming New Zealand tour as it awaits updates on the fitness of Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana and Rishabh Pant.
Krishna has reportedly been given a three-week recovery timeline after reporting to the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s Centre of Excellence (CoE). He had walked off the field during the second ODI against the West Indies in Guwahati on September 30 after experiencing discomfort in his left hamstring. The team management withdrew him after he bowled five overs as a precaution.
Seam-bowling all-rounder Rana, who has been at the CoE since July, is expected to undergo a return-to-play match simulation. The ODI and Test squads are expected to depart for New Zealand on October 28, with the ODI series scheduled to begin on November 4.
The BCCI announced on Monday that Pant would miss the first two four-day matches for India A, beginning October 24, due to a side strain sustained during the Irani Cup. According to sources, the CoE is taking a cautious approach while clearing players after rehabilitation, with both Pant and Krishna reportedly given three-week timelines.
The team management and selectors are keen to have Rana available for both formats. He is viewed as a suitable seam-bowling all-rounder who can bat at No. 8.
Krishna is considered an important member of India's pace attack in both Tests and ODIs, while Pant is expected to play a key role in the batting line-up during the two-Test series beginning November 19. Pant had sought match practice with India A to regain his rhythm ahead of the Test series.
India are also expected to play a warm-up match before the first Test, after the third India A four-day match concludes on November 10.
Meanwhile, fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar is training at the CoE after being selected for the T20I series for the first time in four years. The 36-year-old has focused on preparing for the Indian Premier League over the past three years and has featured only in T20 cricket in domestic competitions. The current training camp is aimed at preparing him for the demands of international cricket.