BCCI likely to rest three senior India players for Sri Lanka Tour

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India is playing a T20I series in Zimbabwe with a second-string team that has many youngsters and fringe players. After the T20 World Cup triumph, the first team stars are currently on leave.

The upcoming assignment following the Zimbabwe series is going to be a tour to Sri Lanka, where the Indian team will play in 3 ODIs and 3 T20Is.

But for the upcoming series, India may drop the senior trio as BCCI want to keep them away from cricket for an extended period after the T20 World Cup.

As per a report from Indian Express, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Jas Bumrah will not be part of the Indian squad for the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka. The Indian cricket board has decided to give these senior players some additional rest before they return for a busy season starting in September.

Rohit and Kohli have retired from T20Is after the recent World Cup, while Bumrah continues to play the format. The selection committee is expected to meet next week to finalise the team.

"Senior players can take some rest and get ready for the full cricket season ahead. Rohit, Virat, and Bumrah have been offered rest and will join the team for the Test matches against Bangladesh in September," a BCCI source said to the publication.

This break is intended to ensure they are fresh for future matches. Following the Bangladesh series, India will host New Zealand from October 16 to November 5 for three Tests. After that, they will travel to South Africa for four T20Is, before the tour to Australia..

Gautam Gambhir is expected to take up the role of head coach. The delay in announcement is due to ongoing salary negotiations between him and the board. BCCI secretary Jay Shah has confirmed that the new coach will join from the Sri Lanka series.

It appears that Gambhir will have significant freedom in selecting his support staff. There is uncertainty about whether a batting coach will be appointed since Gambhir himself was a successful opening batsman across formats. He also mentored Kolkata Knight Riders during their title-winning IPL season in 2024.