With a hectic cricket calendar all year round, top players of the Indian cricket team deserve a rest. None more so than the skipper Virat Kohli. And rest is likely to come for the Indian skipper in coming days when the Bangladeshi team arrive for a 3-match T20I rubber.
A source within the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has revealed that the 30-year old might not be taking part in the series. There is no certainty about it, even as per the source, but the possibility of him getting time off is there.
"There is a possibility that Virat could be rested keeping the workload management programme in mind. But the selectors will only speak to Virat once the Test match (vs South Africa) ends," this anonymous source informed PTI.
The source added that the decision primarily rests on the man himself. "It will also depend on how the skipper himself feels. He knows his body the best and if need be he can himself ask the selectors for rest."
Kohli has been playing cricket continuously since the beginning of the year. The leading Indian players took part in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and then had to quickly move on to the World Cup in England. This was followed by the tour of West Indies and the home series against South Africa.
Even prior to the World Cup, the Indian team was engaged in several home and away rubbers, both in T20I and ODI format. Though Kohli was a bit lucky compared to some of his other teammates in the national squad as his IPL side, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), did not qualify for the play-offs of the tournament.
If Kohli gets rested for the Bangladesh series, then Rohit Sharma, the current vice-captain, will lead the side, as he has done on several occasions in the last couple of years, both in ODI and T20I formats. If that happens, and India win the series, there would be renewed questions about the captaincy of Virat and whether Rohit should be given permanent charge for the shorter formats.
Considering another hectic season of cricket lies ahead, a rest for Kohli at some stage is very necessary. However, with the World T20 just one year away, the T20I matches in the coming days also gain importance. Who knows, Virat may want to play in as many games of the shorter format for India as possible in order to prepare for the big event. So, only time will tell what happens next.
