'Seniors can be rested for NZ series': Sehwag names 5 players India should groom for next T20 World Cup in Australia

Sehwag picked five cricketers India should groom for next T20 World Cup in Australia. Three of those players are presently part of the Indian squad in T20 World Cup 2021, one is among the standbys while the other recently made his debut for India in the limited-overs series in Sri Lanka.

Former India opening batsman Virender Sehwag has put forth a list of young players who can be groomed for the next T20 World Cup which will be played in 2022 in Australia while saying that the senior players can be rested for the home T20I series that will follow the ongoing World Cup tournament in the UAE.

India's KL Rahul bumps fists with Ishan Kishan after hitting a four  (REUTERS)

Three of those players are presently part of the Indian squad in the UAE for the 2021 T20 World Cup, one is among the standby players while the other recently made his debut for India in the limited-overs series in Sri Lanka and followed it up with an impressive IPL 2021 season in the UAE.

While speaking on his show Virugiri on Facebook, Sehwag said, "Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, KL Rahul and perhaps in the next world cup Ruturaj Gaikwad could be there and also Shreyas Iyer as well. These players can be groomed and given opportunities because they are the future. So, the rest of the senior players can be given a break so that these players can play in the T20 series being played at home and gain some experience and prepare themselves for the next World Cup."

Following the World Cup, India will play three T20Is against New Zealand at home starting November 17 in Jaipur.

Keeping in mind that the present Indian squad have been in the bio-bubble for a long stretch of time, it has been reported that the senior players will be rested for the series.

Pacer Jasprit Bumrah did throw some light on this aspect after India's loss to New Zealand last week.

"Sometimes you need a break. You miss your family sometimes. You've been on the road for six months. So all of that sometimes play on the back of your mind. But when you're on the field, you don't think of all those things. You don't control a lot of things, how the scheduling goes on or what tournament is played when.

"So obviously staying in a bubble and staying away from your family for such a long period of time does play a role on the player's mind as well. But they also tried their best to make us feel comfortable. But this is the time which we're living in right now. It's a difficult time. There's a pandemic going on. So we try to adapt. But sometimes bubble fatigue, mental fatigue also creeps in, that you're doing the same thing again and again and again. So it is the way it is, and you can't control a lot of it here," he said.