India to play 3-match ODI series in Bangladesh after IPL

Both MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli are set to miss the Bangladesh tour before the start of a hectic international season

India will tour Bangladesh for a 3-match ODI series in the window between IPL and its departure for England. The final of IPL 7 will be played on June 1 while the team will leave for England on June 22. Now, 3 ODIs with Bangladesh have been scheduled in Dhaka on June 15, 17 and 19.

However, according to ESPNcrincinfo, both skipper MS Dhoni and his deputy Virat Kohli will be unavailable for the short tour. Dhoni has already planned a family vacation during that period and BCCI also believe in resting the captain before a hectic international schedule which ends with 2015 World Cup.

Dhoni missed the Asia Cup due to injury before the World T20 in Bangladesh and Kohli led the team in his absence. But the ace batsman too has indicated it to the BCCI hierarchy the need of a break before the long and hectic international season, and is likely to miss the tour.

In absence of both the big guns, it’s likely that a new captain will be announced for the series. Suresh Raina, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, the three players who have donned the skipper’s hat apart from Dhoni and Kohli in recent past, weren’t part of the ODI squad in Asia Cup, and a new face could probably be chosen by the selectors this time. Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin seem to be the frontrunners for the temporary role.

According to ESPNcricinfo, the tour was agreed upon in February by the two boards, and the formalities were completed during this April’s ICC executive board meeting.