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- BCCI Talent Pool Expansion | India Field Two International Cricket Teams
Ayaz Memon (Cricket Expert). New Delhi2 hours ago
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Keeping workload and recovery in mind, BCCI is preparing a talent pool of 37 players. Its purpose is also to prepare for the Los Angeles Olympics 2028. – File Photo
Historic changes could be seen in Indian cricket when two different Indian teams play two different international matches at the same time. The dates for the Asian Games (24 September – 3 October, cricket event) to be held in Japan from 19 September and the India-West Indies home series (ODI+T20) starting from 27 September are clashing.
Before this, there is also a T20 series against Afghanistan from 17 September. Keeping workload and recovery in mind, BCCI is preparing a talent pool of 37 cricket players. The aim is also to prepare for the Los Angeles Olympics 2028. The special thing is that the matches of the teams playing in both events will get International T20 status, meaning both will be ‘A’ teams on the field, not ‘B’.
New category for central contract: ‘T20 specialists’
Why is a large pool of players being created?
There are four reasons
There are four reasons. First, to keep immediate backup ready to deal with injuries or poor form in a busy 300-day schedule. The second is to field a strong team against Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh in the Asian Games. And the third one is to reduce the risk of injuries by resting top players. The last and fourth one is through the IPL. Men in Blue already have 25-30 players ready who can immediately play international matches.
What are the challenges with the two-team model?
There are two challenges. The first is deciding which player to send to the West Indies series and which to the Asian Games. The second is a dual leadership group, meaning two different captains and head coaches will have to be appointed for two separate teams. As per the setup, the dressing room atmosphere will have to be maintained for the players.
What will be the impact on broadcasting and the calendar?
After cricket’s inclusion in the Los Angeles Olympics, an annual schedule will have to be created along the lines of football. Broadcasters will be able to earn more from advertisements and viewership by showing matches of both teams on different channels simultaneously.
Will this change the central contract?
Yes, with a larger talent pool, the number
Yes, with a larger talent pool, the number of contracted players could exceed 40 to 45. Currently, this number is 30. Additionally, a new category of ‘T20 Specialist Contract’ can be introduced, similar to the special contracts for fast bowlers.
1998: When the team was divided into two parts for the first time
In September 1998, India fielded two separate teams for the Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games and the Toronto Sahara Cup. One team, captained by Ajay Jadeja, played in the Commonwealth Games (Malaysia) and included stars like Sachin Tendulkar, Anil Kumble, and VVS Laxman. This team was eliminated from the group stage itself.
Meanwhile, the second team played in the Sahara Cup (Canada) under the captaincy of Mohammad Azharuddin. It featured legends like Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid. Pakistan thrashed this team 4-1 in a 5-match ODI series.
Yashasvi and Vaibhav, including these players, will be in the pool
In the last 26 years, Indian cricket has
In the last 26 years, Indian cricket has seen a significant increase in rein BCCI’s new talent pool of 37 players
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Ishan Kishan, KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Prabhsimran Singh, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Tilak Varma, Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Prasidh Krishna, Varun Chakravarthy, Anukul Roy, Ayush Badoni, Harsh Dubey, Dhruv Jurel, Khaleel Ahmed, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ravi Bishnoi, Mayank Yadav, Prince Yadav, Shahbaz Ahmed, Suryansh Shedege, Mohammed Siraj, Shivam Dube, Vipraj Nigam, Harshit Rana, Yash Thakur, Washington Sundar.
Source: www.bhaskarenglish.in
