BCCI has named 18 players in the squad along with KL Rahul and Wriddhiman Saha subject to fitness for the summit clash at Southampton.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced a 20-member strong squad for the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC) final against New Zealand at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton, England, which will take place from June 18 and the five-match Test series against England following the same.
The BCCI has names 18 members in the squad in addition of the duo of KL Rahul and Wriddhiman Saha, subject to their fitness.
KL Rahul was diagnosed with acute appendicitis and will be undergoing surgery for the same, while Saha tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. The notable missouts were the opener Prithvi Shaw, who since the Adelaide debacle has completely transformed his form and technique and pacer Bhuvnehswar Kumar, who still is facing fitness issues after missing a couple of games in the IPL due to tightness in his thigh.
The selection committee also named four reserves in the form of Bengal batsman Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karnatak pacer Prasidh Krishna, who made his debut in the ODIs for Team India, Madhya Pradesh pacer Avesh Khan, who impressed one and all with his accuracy and control in the IPL 2021 playing for the Delhi Capitals and Arzan Nagwaswalla, left-arm medium pacer from Gujarat.
Team India Squad for WTC final and 5-match Test series against England: Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane (vc), Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant(wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav.
KL Rahul and Wriddhiman Saha (subject to fitness)
Standby players: Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan, Arzan Nagwaswalla
The team announced is for six games in total. First, they will face New Zealand in the WTC final, after which they will play against England in five-match series starting on August 4 in Nottingham, followed by Lord's, Leeds, Oval, London and the final match to be played at the Old Trafford in Manchester.
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