India's head coach, Rahul Dravid, stated that expecting every player to be available at all times for every series in which the team competes would be unreasonable.
Regular skipper Rohit Sharma, senior batter Virat Kohli, and pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah have all been rested for the forthcoming five-match T20I series against South Africa, which begins on Thursday.
"It's not at all tough. (KL) Rahul has previously captained a team. A lot of things are crystal plain to us. Our all-format player is Rohit (Sharma). Expecting everyone to be available at all times is impractical. There are instances when we must rest some of our key players "In a press conference ahead of India's second practise session on Tuesday, Dravid stated.
"We need to make sure they're ready for all of the big events and that they're peaking." We also have a Test match in the UK rescheduled from last year, and we need to field the greatest team possible. With such a hectic schedule, there are moments when we must rest our key players. It provides opportunity for young players and increases the depth of our squad," Dravid remarked.
Dravid stated that resting players, particularly all-format players, is a process that will continue in the future. "It's a delicate mix of managing the workload of some of the players, particularly those who have played in all three formats of the game for us in the last six months." We'll do it over the next six months.
"A few players have been rested as part of the process. We'll keep doing that for a while till the T20 World Cup (in October-November in Australia), after which we'll put everyone on ice (for the main squad). It's crucial to keep track of people in the midst of a hectic schedule."
Despite the absence of certain key players, India has been buoyed by the return of Hardik Pandya and Dinesh Karthik. Pandya returns after leading Gujarat Titans to the IPL 2022 title and excelling with both bat and ball.
Pandya is expected to maintain his current form, according to Dravid. "It's fantastic that we have so many Indian captains doing well in the IPL." One of them was Hardik Pandya, while Rahul performed admirably for LSG and Sanju commanded RR. Shreyas did the same thing at KKR. It aids in the growth and development of players. Having to make judgments helps you grow as a person as well."
"At this point in time, the most important thing from our standpoint is that he has resumed bowling." You know how that affects us, how much depth it adds to the side. So it would really be about ensuring that we get the best out of him as a cricketer, in terms of his bowling, in terms of his batting.