Team India to feature in 3 more limited-overs tours ahead of T20 World Cup 2022: Reports
Team India are likely to have an extremely busy schedule in the build-up to the T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia, which begins in October. Apparently, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has planned three more limited-overs overseas tours for the side, which will take place after they visit England in July and before the T20 World Cup.
According to a report in TOI, India will take on Ireland in a one-off T20I during their tour of England. Further, sources informed the paper that Team India will head on a tour to the West Indies following the conclusion of the England tour. They will then travel to Zimbabwe, which will be followed by the Asia Cup in the UAE.
Team India are currently preparing for the Sri Lanka series, comprising three T20Is and two Tests, at home, which will begin on February 24 and is scheduled to conclude on March 16. After that, the Indian Premier League (IPL) is likely to start in the last week of March and could go on till the third week of May.
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Team India are also scheduled to take on South Africa in five T20Is at home from June 9 to June 19, after which they will head to the UK. During their tour of England in July, India will play a Test match in Birmingham to compensate for the canceled Manchester Test during their previous tour. The visitors will also take on the Englishmen in three T20Is and as many ODIs, with the last one-dayer being on July 17.
“Every player has been communicated” - BCCI official on Team India’s busy itinerary
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A BCCI official was quoted as saying by TOI that all the players have been informed about the busy schedule ahead of the T20 World Cup. The official said:
"The discussions on bio-bubble breaks have already started. Every player has been communicated about the busy itinerary. They have been given time to think about when they would like to take a break. It's likely a depleted side will travel to Zimbabwe. Ideally, the Asia Cup will be the right tournament to play the first team, in order to get combinations right before the T20 World Cup.”
Also, as the one-off T20I in Ireland is likely to be played at the same time as the Tests, there is a chance that Team India could field two different teams simultaneously.
Something similar happened last year when a limited-overs squad was in Sri Lanka while the Test team was in England.