Early next month, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will assess the Indian team’s results in Ireland, England, and Zimbabwe and make a decision regarding the contracts of a few support staff members under head coach Gautam Gambhir.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia told Cricbuzz on Saturday, July 25, that the review will include all recent white-ball matches, especially those in England and Ireland, where the Indian team essentially lost all but one ODI against England. The BCCI secretary stated, “We will hold the review meeting in August,” but she did not specify the date.
Following their first-ever loss to Ireland in the two-match Twenty20 International series in Belfast last month, India lost four of the five Twenty20 Internationals against England, with one match being called off. Under the new captain, Shreyas Iyer, it represented a dramatic turn of events following the World Cup high in March.
India, led by Shubman Gill, lost 1-2 to Harry Brook’s team in the three-match ODI series in England. But as was to be expected, India went on to win the current T20I series in Zimbabwe.
Saikia said that the BCCI would investigate the contracts of a few support staff members, but she did not go into detail about the review’s scope.
Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has asked the BCCI to release him of his responsibilities, as Cricbuzz previously reported. Doeschate’s request may be granted because he has finished his first two-year contract. However, there is now no certainty on the future of fielding coach T Dilip, who has been under fire, especially since India’s catching and fielding during the UK trip have been subpar.
Saikia also disclosed that the selection of the team for the away Test series against Sri Lanka will take place on Tuesday, most likely virtually. From August 15 to August 27, India will play two Test matches in Galle and Colombo.
With the exception of a few little adjustments, the team is probably not going to be anything that different from the one that played against Afghanistan under Gill in June. Whether Jasprit Bumrah is chosen for the series will be the main topic of discussion in the selection meeting.
The more crucial question is whether the selectors will finally allow Auqib Nabi, the top wicket-taker from the previous Ranji season, a shot in the squad, even though he and Mohammed Siraj, who spearheaded the attack against Afghanistan in Bumrah’s absence, are sure to be selected.
Nitish Kumar Reddy, who was a member of the team for the June New Chandigarh Test, is reportedly undergoing rehabilitation at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru due to a quadriceps injury he sustained last month, and it seems unlikely that he will be selected.
Reddy, one of the few all-format players in the Indian lineup, has begun bowling at the Bengaluru facility, but according to reports, he shouldn’t be taken into consideration for the five-day matches just yet. However, it is anticipated that he will be prepared for the numerous white-ball games that are planned for September. Reddy last represented India in the third and final One-Day International (ODI) against Afghanistan in Chennai in June.
