The Board of Control for Cricket in India will send a 32-strong squad to Australia for Tests and white ball series during the Summer Down Under.
The BCCI senior selection panel will announce the squad later this week. The support staff and the players who are not the part of the ongoing Indian Premier League will join the other players in the Dubai. The members will serve time in quarantine before joining the other members of the contingent in the bio-bubble.
The Indian tour party will directly fly Australia from the UAE after the IPL 2020 final on November 10.
The BCCI will not permit the players’ families for the Australia tour.
India are scheduled to play three games each in the two white ball series and four Tests on the tour that will span a little over two months, including the two-week mandatory quarantine on arrival Down Under.
The size of the tour party is increased to have back players for injuries or other contingencies. Due to COVID-19 restrictions and threat, it will not be possible to summon replacements in case of emergencies.
“They (selection committee) have been told to pick as large a squad as they want. We want back-up players ready and in Australia right through the tour. If a player gets injured, there shouldn’t be a situation where we have to call for a player from India,” national daily Indian Express has quoted a BCCI official as saying.
There will also be additional support staff members in the jumbo contingent, which will also include the national selectors.
The While Kohli-led Men is Whites are expected to start their Test series with the Pink Ball Test.
The tour as per the revised itinerary, shared by Cricket Australia with the BCCI, will take off with the white ball series – three T20 Internationals and as many One Day Internationals.