T20 World Cup captaincy: There is time, says Jay Shah
India’s stellar show in the ODI World Cup under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy has been well received by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Sharma, top BCCI officials and the selectors recently reviewed the World Cup final loss and looked at planning ahead. But there’s no public announcement on whether he will lead the team at next year’s T20 World Cup.
India captain Rohit Sharma(REUTERS)
“The World Cup is starting in June, we have the IPL before that and the series against Afghanistan (in January). We will take a good decision,” BCCI secretary Jay Shah said on the sidelines of the WPL auction in Mumbai on Saturday.
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Sharma hasn’t played a T20I since last year’s World Cup in Australia and the selectors are loaded with options. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill are staking their claim for top order berths. Like Sharma, Virat Kohli is yet to play a T2OI after the last World Cup.
Injured Hardik Pandya, who led the T20 team in Sharma’s absence, may not be too far away from returning to action after suffering an ankle injury during the ODI World Cup. “We are monitoring him on a day-to-day basis. He is at the NCA and working very hard. He could be fit before the Afghanistan series also,” said Shah.
India play Afghanistan in a 3-match T20I series. In Pandya’s absence, Suryakumar Yadav is leading the T20 side, whose first game in South Africa is on Sunday.
Rahul Dravid’s tenure as coach was extended following the World Cup. Shah said the contract has not been signed but an agreement has been worked out. Dravid is set to be the coach at the T20 World Cup and will have a say in the squad make-up at the mega event.
“We have given the extension but are yet to finalise the contract. We did not get time at all. They finished (with the World Cup), I had a meeting with them (Dravid and support staff) and we agreed mutually that they will continue. We will sit down and decide once they return from South Africa,” he said.
The Indian Test team’s next home assignment will be the five-match series against England. But there will be no pink ball Test.
After the two-day Tests against England at Ahmedabad in 2021, there are concerns around the immediate future of pink-ball Test cricket in India. “We need to grow more interest for pink-ball Tests. The matches get over early, whereas Test matches should continue for 4-5 days,” said Shah.
On Mohammed Shami’s fitness, Shah was confident the pacer would be ready for the South Africa Tests. “He is not at the NCA yet, but will be going there. We are confident he will recover in time,” he said. Shami, World Cup’s top wicket-taker, has an ankle injury and BCCI while naming the squad had said his selection was subject to proving his fitness.
WPL IN ONE STATE
For now, BCCI has no plans to make WPL a home-and-away event like IPL. The inaugural edition earlier this year was played at two venues in Mumbai and a similar arrangement may continue. There are other venues being considered, but matches would be held in one state in a cluster.
“The logistics are very important for us. Next time, we can figure it out (more venues),” said Shah. “It will be a joint call between the franchises and BCCI. It will be in one state, that is for sure. We can also do it in Bengaluru or Uttar Pradesh. There are many venues in Gujarat.”
Welcoming the two headline buys at the WPL auction – uncapped Kashvee Gautam and Vrinda Dinesh bagged contracts worth ₹2 crore and ₹1.3 crore respectively – Shah said franchises showing “high interest towards Indian players” will strengthen the Indian women’s team.
“The way you do not get to see any difference between IPL and WPL, similarly you will not get to see any difference between the men’s World Cup and women’s World Cup. We will ensure the same treatment is given,” he said.
The next WPL is likely to begin in the second or third week of February.
