Team India head coach Rahul Dravid on Tuesday said that it would be unfair to expect every player to be available all the time. Dravid's comments come after regular captain Rohit Sharma, senior batter Virat Kohli and pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah were rested from the upcoming five-match T20I series against South Africa, starting from Thursday (June 9).
"Rohit Sharma is our all-format player. It would be unwise to expect everyone to be available all the time. There are times where we've to rest our big players," said Dravid in a press conference.
Meanwhile, Dravid also said that the success of Indian players as captains in a tournament like IPL will eventually benefit the national team since leadership role helps in accelerating the growth of cricketers.
M. O. O. D in the camp ahead of the #INDvSA T20I series. #TeamIndia | @Paytm pic.twitter.com/ZMB1XEvU7I
— BCCI (@BCCI) June 7, 2022
Hardik Pandya led Gujarat Titans to title in its maiden season while KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, and Sanju Samson too did a commendable job while leading their respective franchises in the recently concluded IPL 2022.
''It is great that we have a lot of Indian captains doing well. Hardik was one of them. Brilliant. KL did a good job at LSG and Sanju in RR. Shreyas in KKR,'' Dravid said at a press conference.
''It is really great to see the young batters leading the team. It helps people grow and develop as players, having to lead teams to make the decisions. It helps you grow as a person and as a player.
''It is great from our perspective that the younger Indian players are leading well in the IPL,'' he added.
Several new faces have been named in the Indian squad while the series is also set to feature Pandya and Dinesh Karthik, who make a comeback after stellar IPL campaigns.
18-member #TeamIndia squad for the upcoming five-match Paytm T20I home series against South Africa.#INDvSA @Paytm pic.twitter.com/tK90uEcMov
— BCCI (@BCCI) May 22, 2022
Pandya, who struggled with a back and was dropped from the Team India after the team's disappointing group-round exit from the T20 World Cup last year, returned to competitive cricket in the IPL. He played a key role in Titans' success, contributing with the bat and the ball, something that the Indian team had missed desperately during the World Cup last year.
''It is really pleasing to have him back. Hardik at his best is a fantastic cricketer with both bat and ball. He's been very successful in white-ball cricket and has shown some really good form in this IPL as well,'' Dravid said.
The @Paytm #INDvSA T20I series begins on 9th June.
Excitement levels
Take a look at the fixtures pic.twitter.com/0VZQfdnT84
— BCCI (@BCCI) June 7, 2022
The former Indian cricketer was impressed by the Baroda player's captaincy skills, adding that they are working at utilising Pandya's full potential for India. ''His leadership was very impressive in the IPL and he performed well. You don't have to be designated as a leader to be part of the leadership group. ''At this point of time from our perspective it is a positive that he has started bowling again. It is really about ensuring that we can get the best out of him as a cricketer in terms of contributions.
