Shubman Gill is among the prominent players who could be rested for the three-match T20I series against Bangladesh that begins on October 7 as part of the BCCI's workload management policy.
Gill, India's No.3 batsman in Tests, is a vital cog in the team's top order alongside captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Yashasvi Jaiswal, and will certainly be looking to feature in all 10 Test matches this season.
Alongside Gill, a few more regulars are also likely to be rested keeping in mind the three-Test home series against New Zealand beginning on October 16.
India's international season gets underway with a two-Test series against Bangladesh in Chennai from September 19 followed by the second game in Kanpur from September 27.
As per the schedule, the three T20Is against Bangladesh will be played on October 6 (in Gwalior), 10 (in New Delhi) and 13 (in Hyderabad). The first Test against New Zealand begins on October 16.
So, with only two days of gap before the start of the New Zealand Tests, Gill, who appears to have worked on his defence in the red-ball format — evident during the home Tests against England earlier this year — may need a few days off to come back fresher for the rigours of the toughest format in the sport.
Besides, India have a lot more options at present in terms of T20 cricket. And with Rohit, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja retiring from the format following the T20 World Cup triumph back in June, the competition among the performers in the IPL seems to be more intense now when it comes to securing a spot in the XI for T20Is.
With almost three weeks still remaining for the Bangladesh T20Is, one also expects skipper Suryakumar Yadav to regain full fitness by then. Surya sustained a hand injury to miss out on the ongoing Duleep Trophy.
Coming back to Gill, he has so far played 21 T20Is and has a century and three fifties to his credit besides a strike rate of nearly 140. He was recently appointed captain for the five-match away bilateral series against Zimbabwe in Harare, which India won 4-1.
In the current season, Test cricket carries greater significance for Team India, especially with the World Test Championship points alongside the five-match series against Australia being topmost on the agenda.
It will also be interesting to see if keeper-batter Rishabh Pant and quicks Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj are rested for the Bangladesh T20Is. Most probably, they will be. The two pacers at least.