KL Rahul Likely to Captain India During Home T20I Series vs New Zealand: Report

India and New Zealand will play 3 T20Is and 2 Tests after the 2021 T20 World Cup.

KL Rahul and Virat Kohli in training. 

Image: BCCI

Some of the Indian men’s team’s players are in for a break after the T20 World Cup completes. The Indian team will host New Zealand and with players having spent a lot of time in bio-bubbles, some of the big names aren’t likely to feature in the series.

In such a situation, it is likely that the captaincy for the T20I series goes to KL Rahul, ANI reported. The teams will play 3 T20s on 17, 19 and 21 November after which they’ll play two Tests as well.

Speaking to ANI, a source in the know confirmed that Rahul is the front runner for the job. "The seniors would need a breather and it is no secret that Rahul is an integral part of the team's T20 structure. He is almost certain to lead," the source said.

The report further added that fans are likely to return to the stadiums as well.

"Yes, we will have fans coming in, but it won't be full capacity. We will work closely with the local authorities and plan the way forward," a BCCI official said.

After the defeat against New Zealand in the T20 World Cup, Jasprit Bumrah had talked about fatigue in a restricted environment, saying sometimes they need a break.

"Sometimes you need a break. You miss your family sometimes. You've been on the road for six months. So all of that sometimes play on the back of your mind. But when you're on the field, you don't think of all those things. You don't control a lot of things, how the scheduling goes on or what tournament is played when," the pacer said.

"So obviously staying in a bubble and staying away from your family for such a long period of time does play a role on the player's mind as well. But they also tried their best to make us feel comfortable. But this is the time which we're living in right now. It's a difficult time. There's a pandemic going on. So we try to adapt. But sometimes bubble fatigue, mental fatigue also creeps in, that you're doing the same thing again and again and again. So it is the way it is, and you can't control a lot of it here," he added.