BCCI finally makes the final call on the captaincy tossup, previously played between Rahane and Rohit. According to TOI’s reports, BCCI has decided to go with Rahane as the captain for the first test match between India and New Zealand. At the same time, Cheteshwar Pujara will be his deputy in the absence of Rohit Sharma. The Mumbai Indian captain was also named as the Indian team captain for the shortest format of the game but is rested for the test series.
India has decided to rest some of its star players such as Bumrah, Pant, and Shami to manage the team’s workload. At the same time, Ravindra Jadeja will rejoin the squad for the two tests after being rested for the T20I series. BCCI has also announced Shreyas Iyer and Jayant Yadav’s return to the team after a long break. In the absence of Rishabh Pant, KS Bharat will be in the squad as the backup wicketkeeper for Wriddhiman Saha.
#TeamIndia squad for NZ Tests:
A Rahane (C), C Pujara (VC), KL Rahul, M Agarwal, S Gill, S Iyer, W Saha (WK), KS Bharat (WK), R Jadeja, R Ashwin, A Patel, J Yadav, I Sharma, U Yadav, Md Siraj, P Krishna
*Virat Kohli will join the squad for the 2nd Test and will lead the team. pic.twitter.com/FqU7xdHpjQ
— BCCI (@BCCI) November 12, 2021
Also, there is some clarity about Kohli’s return to the squad. Earlier, Jay Shah, in a release, said, “the All-India Senior Selection Committee has picked the squad for the upcoming two-test series against New Zealand. Virat will join the squad for the second test and will lead the team.”
The series will commence on November 25 in Kanpur. The second test of the series, which starts on December 3, will be played in Mumbai.
