India are set to host New Zealand for a three-game T20I and two-match Test series and a number of changes can be expected in the squad. Rahul Dravid has been named as the new head coach and will be taking charge of his first assignment in the new role and with Virat Kohli stepping down as the captain in the shortest format, Rohit Sharma is the leading candidate to succeed the 33-year-old in Twenty-20 Internationals. With Rahul Dravid Taking Over As the Head Coach, a New Era in Indian Cricket Begins.

According to a report from the Times of India, white-ball vice-captain Rohit Sharma will be named as the new T20I captain and will be leading the team for the Twenty-20 internationals against New Zealand, starting later this month. In addition, the Mumbai cricketer is also likely to lead the team for the first Test against the Black Caps. Sunil Gavaskar Feels Rohit Sharma Is the Ideal Candidate To Replace Virat Kohli As T20I Skipper.

It is understood that Virat Kohli, regular Test and ODI skipper, will take a break and will not be available for the first Test game and will return to the squad for the second game of the series. The 33-year-old is also expected to take a break from the T20I series. Meanwhile, Ajinkya Rahane will continue to remain as the vice-captain in the longest format with KL Rahul taking over those duties in T20 cricket.

India are also tipped to make a number of changes in the squad for the T20 series as senior players are expected to receive some rest while players like Harshal Patel, Shreyas Iyer and Chahar brother will make the team.

With a new captain, coach and fresh faces in the squad, India will be aiming to out the disappointing T20 World Cup behind them. Jaipur, Ranchi and Kolkata will host the three-match T20 International series starting from November 17 while the two Test matches will be played in Kanpur and Mumbai.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 09, 2021 06:26 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).