India vs Windies 2021-22: Rohit Sharma fit to lead; eyes on Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ravichandran Ashwin

Following an unimpressive outing during the tour of South Africa, India will switch its focus to the upcoming home series against the Windies. The two sides will be engaged in three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and three Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is). As the Indian squad is expected to be announced soon, skipper Rohit Sharma has been deemed fit to lead the side.

As per PTI, the team selection meeting will be held this week. While Rohit returns from his hamstring niggle, seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar and veteran all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin will be under the scanner for their unimpressive performance during the SA ODIs. Meanwhile, Rohit will have to undergo a fitness test at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru on Wednesday before the final squad is announced.

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A source from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has also informed that Rohit is already training in Mumbai. Meanwhile, it is also being reported that Rohit will be taking over the Test captaincy despite his workload in the limited-overs formats. However, the BCCI will also be considering other options for the long term, while wicketkeeper-opener KL Rahul will be groomed for the same after his poor outing as a captain in South Africa.

On the other hand, all-rounder Hardik Pandya has resumed bowling at the nets and could come back to the side against the Windies. While all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer is another option, he is inexperienced batting at number six, where Pandya fits in perfectly, as clarified by head coach Rahul Dravid. Also, fellow all-rounder, Ravindra Jadeja, has recovered fully and is strongly expected to be back.

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In the meantime, pacer Jasprit Bumrah is likely to be rested for his workload management, as he played all six matches in SA. While Bhuvi might be dropped, Ashwin could retain his spot as he made his ODI comeback against Proteas. Also, pacers Avesh Khan and Harshal Patel could be selected for the shortest format.