India vs New Zealand T20: KL Rahul likely to be new captain in place of Virat Kohli

KL Rahul is likely to lead the Indian side in the T20 series against New Zealand later this month. (Photo: IANS)

The performance of the Indian cricket team in the T20 World Cup 2021 has been anything but satisfactory so far and keeping in mind the fatigue of the players due to the bubble life, some senior players will be rested for the T20I series against New Zealand. It is likely that KL Rahul could don the captain’s hat.

Speaking to news agency ANI, a source in the know confirmed that Rahul is the front runner for the job. “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,” the source said.

Interestingly, fans will return to the stadium for the series, 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 said.

Coming back to resting seniors for the T20I series, Jasprit Bumrah did throw light on the fatigue factor after the loss against the Kiwis on Sunday. “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.

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