"Had a lot of injuries in the past": Rohit Sharma on Mayank Yadav ahead of IND vs NZ Test series

Ahead of the three-match Test series against New Zealand, India skipper Rohit Sharma stated that the team management will carefully manage the workload of right-arm seamer Mayank Yadav, considering his history of injuries. The first Test of the series will be held at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru from October 16 to 20, followed by the second Test in Pune from October 24 to 28, and the final match in Pune from November 1 to 5.

"Mayank has shown what he is capable of, but we need to be cautious with him. He has dealt with several injuries in the past, so we don't want to rush him. We'll monitor him daily and gradually build up his workload with the red ball. Our aim is to develop him progressively rather than throwing him straight into international cricket," said Rohit during the pre-match press conference.

Additionally, the right-handed batter commented on the inclusion of Nitesh Kumar Reddy and Mayank Yadav as Travelling Reserves for the upcoming series. "We have seen potential in them. They haven't played much red-ball cricket, but we want to groom them and bring them closer to the team in a short period. They've shown they have some ability as well," the opener remarked.

Rohit further explained that the management wanted to keep players like Harshit Rana, Nitish Reddy, and Mayank Yadav with the team, as they are considering taking them to Australia for the Border-Gavaskar series later this year.

"We wanted to keep them close because we are thinking of taking them to Australia. It's important to monitor their workloads and gradually build them up to see what they can offer. We want to create bench strength, especially with fast bowlers. We have 8 or 9 options, not just 3 or 4. Like we have multiple options in batting, we want the same depth with our bowlers."

India announced a 15-player squad on Friday for the upcoming Tests against New Zealand, beginning on October 16 in Bengaluru. While Rohit Sharma will lead the side, the vice-captaincy, which was left vacant for the Bangladesh series, has now been officially handed to star pacer Jasprit Bumrah for the three Tests.

India's squad for the three Tests against New Zealand: Rohit Sharma (C), Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep.

Travelling reserves: Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mayank Yadav, and Prasidh Krishna. (ANI)