Are you telling me Shikhar Dhawan is not good for T20Is? You can't say that: Mohammad Kaif

The ICC released the Future Tours Programme (FTP) for the 2023-2027 cycle on Wednesday and the numbers show that as many as 777 international matches will be played by the 12 ICC full members. That's 83 matches more than the current cycle (694 matches). As the volume of cricket grows one trend that cannot be questioned anymore is the emergence and now domination of T20 cricket. Take India's schedule alone for the next FTP cycle - 38 Tests, 42 ODIs and as many as 61 T20Is. T20 cricket is not just the future anymore, it's also very much the present. It's no surprise then that the ICC hosts a men's and women's T20 World Cup every two years. To cope with this sheer deluge of cricket these days, teams are of course having to scramble to find enough players to fill squads. For the top teams fielding two squads to play two simultaneous series, while keeping in mind a big multi-nation tournament like the Asia Cup or a Champions Trophy or World Cup, is now a reality. India is one country which has responded to this challenge very well. Only three members of India's 15 member squad (not including Washington Sundar, who was withdrawn due to injury) that is currently playing in Zimbabwe (KL Rahul, Deepak Hooda and Avesh Khan) are also part of the Asia Cup squad.

(AFP Photo)Like everything else the rising volume of cricket also has its pros and cons. While everyone's list will be different for these, the biggest positive is that bench strength is bolstered. One look at the incredible amount of competition for a single slot in an India playing XI these days will tell you that story. At the same time, as selectors, coaches and team managements scramble to make sure no one among the burgeoning pool of available players is overlooked