"It is not a huge deal, they can take rest and be ready for the Tests against Bangladesh" - Aakash Chopra on senior players being rested for the tour of New Zealand 

Former Indian batter Aakash Chopra feels that senior players being rested after a draining T20 World Cup 2022 is a non-issue, especially with a Test series against Bangladesh on the horizon.

The selection committee named the squads for the white-ball tour of New Zealand as well as the tour of Bangladesh on Monday, October 31. A host of senior players, including the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and KL Rahul, have been rested for the three ODIs and three T20Is against the Kiwis.

The trio will return for the two-match Test series against Bangladesh, which is slated to begin on December 14.

Opining that the tournament the stature of a World Cup demands rest at times, Chopra said on his YouTube channel:

"KL Rahul has not played much cricket, let's be honest here. He started playing from the 2022 Asia Cup. Virat Kohli has also missed plenty of matches this year, but they have been rested here."

Chopra continued:

"It is not a huge deal, they can take rest and be ready for the Tests against Bangladesh. World Cup is such a tournament, where after playing it, rest seems something very legit."

In the absence of Rohit, the captaincy responsibilities will be handled by Hardik Pandya and Shikhar Dhawan for the T20I and ODI series, respectively.

The two-match Test series against Bangladesh is a crucial one for Team India, considering their World Test Championship (WTC) ambitions. Rohit and Co. are currently placed fourth in the standings with a home series against Australia to be played in early 2023 as well.

---

"The changeover for the team for the 2024 T20 World Cup will begin with the New Zealand series" - Aakash Chopra

Initial impressions from the squads announced for the T20I series against New Zealand suggest that the management are pivoting in a new direction.

Senior pros like Dinesh Karthik and Ravichandran Ashwin were not considered for the tour and their future in national colors looks in doubt as a young hoard of players look ready to take over.

Commenting on Ashwin's absence after initially featuring back in Team India's plans after a lengthy layoff, Chopra said:

"Suryakumar Yadav has not been rested, he has been playing the most T20 cricket for quite a while now. Washington Sundar is there, but there is no Ravichandran Ashwin, now that is interesting."

He continued:

"Ashwin is such a candidate now that he is playing from World Cup to World Cup only. Is he in the scheme of things or are they looking for other options? Once again, we have no idea."

Branding the upcoming series against New Zealand as the unfolding of a new era for the Indian T20I team, Chopra said:

"I think that whether we win or lose this World Cup, the changeover for the team for the 2024 T20 World Cup will begin with the New Zealand series."

India's tour of New Zealand will start on November 18 with the first T20I in Wellington.

---