Ind vs NZ, T20Is: KL Rahul To Don Captain's Hat, Fans To Return: Report

The BCCI, considering the amount of time players have spent in the bio-bubble, decided to rest senior players for Ind vs NZ T20 series in November.

Photo Courtesy: @BCCI / Twitter

New Delhi: India and New Zealand are slated to play a T20I series in November once the ongoing ICC Men's T20 World Cup gets over. Virat Kohli has already announced about him stepping down from T20 captaincy post T20 World Cup.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), considering the amount of time players have spent in the bio-bubble, decided to rest senior players for Ind vs NZ T20 series in November. From the Test series against England, IPL and then the T20 World Cup, team India's senior players have been playing cricket continuously since last few months.

New Zealand and India will clash in a T20I series and then follow it up with two Test matches. India vs New Zealand T20Is will be played on November 17 in Jaipur, November 19 in Ranchi and November 21 in Kolkata. India vs New Zealand two Tests will be played in Kanpur (November 25-29) and Mumbai (December 3-7).

"The seniors would need a breather and it is no secret that Rahul is an integral part of the team's T20 structure. He is almost certain to lead," a source told news agency ANI.

As per ANI, Ind vs NZ series will have live audience to witness all the action, but with an eye on the COVID-19 protocols.

"Yes, we will have fans coming in, but it won't be full capacity. We will work closely with the local authorities and plan the way forward," a BCCI official told ANI.

After India's 8-wicket loss to New Zealand in the T20 World Cup on Sunday, Jasprit Bumrah did shared his views on the fatigue factor.

"Sometimes you need a break. You miss your family sometimes. You've been on the road for six months. So all of that sometimes play on the back of your mind. But when you're on the field, you don't think of all those things. You don't control a lot of things, how the scheduling goes on or what tournament is played when.

"So obviously staying in a bubble and staying away from your family for such a long period of time does play a role on the player's mind as well. But they also tried their best to make us feel comfortable. But this is the time which we're living in right now. It's a difficult time. There's a pandemic going on. So we try to adapt. But sometimes bubble fatigue, mental fatigue also creeps in, that you're doing the same thing again and again and again. So it is the way it is, and you can't control a lot of it here," he said.