India Playing XI vs West Indies: The Sportsrush present before you India’s T20I Playing XI for the upcoming tour of West Indies.
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Currently ranked at No. 5 in the MRF Tyres ICC T20I team rankings, India haven’t had the best of times in cricket’s shortest formats of late. With the T20I World Cup scheduled to be played in Australia next year, India need to get their act right right away.
The 15-member squad chosen for the three-match T20I series comprises of seven batsmen, four spinners (three all-rounders) and four fast bowlers. In what seems to be an interesting decision, how will captain Virat Kohli select the final combination remains to be seen.
Under Kohli, India have won 12 and lost nine T20Is. The Indian skipper who picks and chooses between T20I series would be looking to make amends as a captain in this format as well.
India Playing XI vs West Indies
Top-order
With Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma and Kohli in the squad, there is not an iota of doubt that India will disturb the top-order. The formidable trio will look to stand tall on their reputation in India’s extended build-up to the T20I World Cup.
A position sign for the Indian team is that all of Dhawan, Sharma and Kohli were among the Top 15 highest run-scorers in the Indian Premier League held earlier this year. With none of them being a contemporary swashbuckling batsman who targets the opposition bowlers from the word go, it would be intriguing to see if any one of India’s senior batsmen changes his approach.
Middle-order
The contagious No. 4 conundrum is likely to follow India from ODIs to T20Is. While both Shreyas Iyer and Manish Pandey are better equipped to bat in the middle-order, one feels Lokesh Rahul will get the nod just like in the ODI squad. The last time India played T20Is in Lauderhill, Rahul had registered his maiden T20I century while batting at No. 4.
At No. 5, wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant will have a huge role to play not just because of his potential but more due to the fact that he will most likely be the last specialist batsman in the Indian XI.
In a bid to play six bowling options, India will have to include both Krunal Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja – the latter had last played a T20I during India’s tour of West Indies in 2017.
Few might argue that one out of Iyer or Pandey can bat at No. 6 but none of them are natural finishers. Moreover, playing just five bowling options at Lauderhill involves oodles of risk.
Bowlers
It is within the bounds of possibility that India might hand a debut to Rajasthan and Mumbai Indians leg-spinner Rahul Chahar. Including Washington Sundar will give their batting a boost but one doesn’t imagine India playing three finger-spinners in one playing XI.
The Indian fast bowlers who have been selected comprise of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, Deepak Chahar and Navdeep Saini. Under Bhuvneshwar’s guidance, the rookie trio will be looking to make a mark in whatever opportunities they get in the series.
While the triad of Ahmed, Chahar and Saini have all done well in the IPL, expect Ahmed and Chahar to get a go in the first T20I. Depending on the situation, Saini might be seen making his debut in the subsequent matches.
India’s Predicted Playing XI for first T20I vs West Indies – 1) Shikhar Dhawan 2) Rohit Sharma 3) Virat Kohli (c) 4) Lokesh Rahul 5) Rishabh Pant (wk) 6) Krunal Pandya 7) Ravindra Jadeja 8) Bhuvneshwar Kumar 9) Deepak Chahar 10) Rahul Chahar 11) Khaleel Ahmed
