After his sterling performance in the Irani Cup, Mukesh Kumar has also come into reckoning for the New Zealand series. He, along with Bengal pacer Akash Deep, whose potential inclusion in the New Zealand-bound red-ball squad was first hinted at by Cricbuzz on September 30, look like the leading candidates for the two-Test series.
Akash Deep was considered vital to India’s chances in New Zealand by the Gautam Gambhir-led team management, and it now transpires that the management also wants the selectors to consider Mukesh, the 32-year-old seamer, who has played three Tests, six ODIs and 17 T20Is in 12 months since making his international debut in July 2023.
The performances of the two Bengal pacers, who helped Rest of India record a stunning come-from-behind win in the Irani Cup in Srinagar on Sunday (October 4), were closely monitored by head coach Gautam Gambhir, who is expected to give his inputs to the Pragyan Ojha-led four-member selection committee.
While Akash claimed six wickets in the match, Mukesh returned an eight-wicket haul in Rest of India’s 167-run win. Along with Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Gurnoor Brar, the two experienced seamers should be part of the 16- or 17-member red ball squad for the two Tests, part of the World Test Championship (WTC) cycle.
There is also a chance that Prasidh Krishna could board the flight to Auckland. There is no confirmation yet, but the recent hamstring injury to the gangling pacer, first reported by Cricbuzz on October 1, is not considered serious enough to rule him out of the tour.
Anyway, the two Tests are at the back end of the October 22-December 1 tour during which five T20Is and five ODIs will be played besides the two Tests, and there is an air of optimism around that Prasidh, who has been making rapid strides in international cricket of late, will recover for the red ball, if not the white ball leg of the 45-day tour.
Needless to emphasise, his selection will depend on clearance from the Centre of Excellence, where he was sent after he suffered a hamstring injury during the second ODI against the West Indies in Guwahati on September 30.
Meanwhile, Ajit Agarkar’s tenure as chief selector officially came to an end on Sunday. His contract with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has expired, and the BCCI has made an interim arrangement.
The selection committee is expected to meet sometime next week to pick the squads for the New Zealand tour, with Pragyan Ojha in charge. Whether this is a temporary or full-time arrangement will not be clear until a new selector is identified. Until then, the committee will function with four members.
The Indian T20I squad will assemble in Lucknow on Monday ahead of the first of the five T20Is against the visiting West Indies. The most squad members, returning from Japan, are expected to have landed in India on Sunday and will have their practice session on Monday evening in Lucknow. The first T20I is scheduled for Tuesday, October 6.
