Indian skipper Virat Kohli will reportedly lead the side for the West Indies tour in all the formats. There have been speculations in recent times that BCCI will split the captaincy of the national squad. It was stated by sources that probably Virat Kohli will lead the Test squad whereas Rohit Sharma will lead the ODI squad. But according to recent news as sources told The Times of India, Kohli will lead India for the Caribbean tour in all three formats.
"Sunday will be the day to put all this nonsense to rest once and for all," said the sources as quoted by TOI.
The availability of Hardik Pandya for the tour is also not sure as the all-rounder is likely to take a break from the series due to a back problem. Jasprit Bumrah will probably feature in the Test squad as he is also going to rest during the limited-overs series.
There have been no updates on the availability of Shikhar Dhawan and Vijay Shankar whereas Mahendra Singh Dhoni has already announced his unavailability for the tour. Rishabh Pant is going to put on the wicket-keeper's gloves in this tournament and it will be a major task for him as he needs to prove his worth stepping in the shoes of MS Dhoni.
The selectors will have their hands full as they will have to take some major calls thinking about the future of the Indian team. They will have to tackle the Dhoni retirement issue smartly. As of now according to sources, Pant will become the first-choice wicket-keeper for Team India whereas Dhoni will be in the squad as the second preference. The 37-year-old World Cup-winning captain might be given the role to mentor and groom the much younger Pant by staying as an integral part of the squad.
The Test series in the West Indies will mark the beginning of ICC's Test Championship. India will play two Test matches in the Caribbean.
