The Indian players will make their return to international cricket in the two-match Test series against Bangladesh, starting September 19. They have been on rest for a month now and will kick off the preparations with a camp in Chennai. The city will host the first Test of the series from September 19 to 23.
The Ajit Agarkar-headed selection committee is likely to make a couple of changes in the squad for the two matches. Cricbuzz has reported that Rajat Patidar could lose his spot in the squad while Rishabh Pant's selection is all but certain.
Rajat, who is part of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in IPL, made his Test debut against England earlier in this year. The right-handed batsman had a forgettable series and he only managed to score 63 runs in three matches. The team management gave him a long rope but he couldn't capitalise on the opportunites provided. Rajat's below-par returns in the series could cost him a spot in the Test squad.
The report adds that Rishabh's selection in the squad is inevitable. While the wicketkeeper-batsman has yet to prove his mettle in white-ball cricket, Rishabh has done wonders in red-ball cricket and there are no doubts over his spot.
Rishabh has proven his fitness for Test cricket by featuring in the round one of Duleep Trophy. India have been including two wicketkeepers in the squad even in home series since 2019. So Dhruv Jurel should also retain his spot.
The management will face a dilema when it comes to picking the playing XI. Dhruv took the onus in his maiden series and delivered the results to propel India to a series win.
Virat Kohli, who missed the complete England series, will also make his return. The former India captaindidn't feature in the home series due to personal reasons. He made his return for the T20 World Cup.