MUMBAI: India’s 15-member squad for the much-awaited ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies is likely to be announced in the final week of April. The International Cricket Council’s (ICC) deadline for team submissions is May 1, allowing each participating team the opportunity to make changes to their initial squad until May 25.
The tournament will commence with an exciting encounter between co-hosts USA and Windies at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas on June 2. India’s campaign will begin on June 5 against Ireland at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York. Meanwhile, the high-octane showdown between India and arch-rivals Pakistan is scheduled to take place at the same venue four days later.
“The Indian team will be selected sometime during the last week of April, the time by which the first half of IPL will be over, and the national selection committee will be in a position to assess the form and fitness of the contenders,” a senior BCCI source was quoted as saying by The Hindu.
The source also stated that shortly after the conclusion of the league stage of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) on May 19, the first batch of cricketers will depart for New York.
“The first batch of cricketers will leave for New York immediately after the end of the league stage of IPL on May 19. Those players, whose teams won’t qualify for the final four, will be going early, like it happened during WTC finals last year,” the source added.
Additionally, if any centrally contracted or targeted player gets injured, their case would automatically be handled by the National Cricket Academy’s (NCA) medical team. Also, coaches and physiotherapists are required to keep the NCA informed about the status of the players.
“Obviously, if any centrally contracted or targeted player gets injured, his case will automatically come under the purview of the NCA’s Medicine and Sports Science team. Also for the centrally contracted players and targeted players (India A, Emerging India), the S&C coaches and physios need to keep NCA in the loop. But when players are contracted with franchises, BCCI can’t dictate how many matches they will play. As far as bowlers are concerned, it is only four overs,” the source said further.
