NEWS
Follow UsIndian head coach Rahul Dravid said that the players who are in the scheme of things for this year’s ODI World Cup will feature in the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League unless there are some injury concerns. However, all these players will be monitored closely by the NCA during the tournament considering the World Cup is not too far away.
"Workload management is something that is a part and parcel of the game today. We keep reviewing these things. You will call the break we have given to some of our boys (Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul) in the T20 series as workload management,” said Dravid prior to the third and final ODI against New Zealand in Indore.
“Injury management and workload management are two different things, we have to keep balancing the two based on what the priority is for us in the short term considering the amount of cricket we play and ensuring that we have our big players available for us in the big tournaments.”
Talking about all these players featuring in this year’s IPL, Dravid said: “In terms of the IPL, the NCA and our medical team is constantly in touch with the franchises, and if there are any issues or injuries we connect with them. Unless the players are injured or there are other concerns then of course I think the BCCI has the right to pull them out.
“But if they are fit we do release them for the IPL because it’s an important tournament. It is a very big tournament for the BCCI, in terms of our preparation for the 2024 T20 World Cup as well. It is important as it helps us assist the performances of our players in the specific T20 format."
Rohit, Kohli and Rahul haven’t played a single T20I since India’s exit in the semi-final of the T20 World Cup in Australia and are also set to miss the forthcoming three-match T20I series against New Zealand. Rather than getting into the details about their T20I future, Dravid said they deserve a break before the two-week camp ahead of the all-important Test series against Australia starting next month.
“You need to play certain white-ball tournaments in certain stages of time. Playing the four matches of the Border Gavaskar for a potential WTC qualification is important. There were some white ball tournaments we had to prioritise after THE T20 WC. Virat has played all six games (ODIs). He will get some break along with Rohit and some of the other guys and then come back refreshed on the 2nd February for a two-weeks camp ahead of Tests.”
Dravid was also asked about split captaincy. In Rohit's absence, Hardik Pandya has been leading the Indian T20I side and is also seen as the front-runner to captain the team in the 2024 T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA. “Not that I am aware of (India adopting split captaincy). That’s a question you need to ask the selectors but as of now, I don’t think so," he said.
With the build-up to the Test series against Australia clashing with the Ranji Trophy quarterfinals, no squad member will be released to play in the domestic marquee tournament. The Indian Test players are slated to join a preparatory camp starting February 2 while the Ranji Trophy quarterfinals are slated for January 31.
But the coach added that there may be scope to release players during the semifinals and final depending upon the situation. "We would really like that the boys are able to play but it is a tough one for us. I think the quarters are on the 31st or 1st and the build-up to Border-Gavaskar is at exactly the same time," Dravid said.
"Obviously, in the build-up to a big tournament like that, we won't be able to release any players but when the series starts and an opportunity presents itself where someone is not playing and is required in the semifinal or final then we will certainly look at it. We have already agreed that the selectors will not be touching anyone playing the quarterfinal of the Ranji Trophy."
(With inputs from PTI)
