Have always prepared myself for all three formats: India pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar

By ANI

NEW DELHI: India pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar on Saturday said that he has always prepared himself keeping in mind all three formats of the game, and his efforts are not impacted by team selection.

In the 20-member squad selected for the World Test Championship (WTC) final and the five-match Test series against England, Bhuvneshwar did not find a place in the squad.

Bhuvneshwar did get injured in the middle of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 but after missing two matches, he did make a comeback for the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH).

“There have been articles about me not wanting to play Test cricket. Just to clarify, I have always prepared myself for all three formats irrespective of the team selection and will continue to do the same. Suggestion — please don’t write your assumptions based on sources,” tweeted Bhuvneshwar.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has made a foolproof plan for the national team before they depart for the UK to play the World Test Championship (WTC) final against New Zealand and the five-match Test series against England.

Speaking to ANI, sources in the know of the roadmap drawn said arrangements have been made for all the players to undergo three RT-PCR tests before assembling in Mumbai on May 19.

“The players will be undergoing three RT-PCR tests at their homes, and once they return negative tests, they will be assembling in Mumbai on May 19. Everyone in the contingent will be undergoing 14-day quarantine in India before they leave for the UK on June 2,” said the source.

India’s Squad: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (Captain), Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), R. Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohd. Shami, Md. Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, KL Rahul (subject to fitness clearance), Wriddhiman Saha (wicket-keeper; subject to fitness clearance)