India Playing XI vs West Indies: India’s Predicted Playing XI for first T20I vs West Indies

Dixit Bhargav | 22/07/2019
India Playing XI vs West Indies: India's Predicted Playing XI for first T20I vs West Indies

India Playing XI vs West Indies: The Sportsrush present before you India’s T20I Playing XI for the upcoming tour of West Indies.

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

Post Edited By: Dixit Bhargav
India India tour of West Indies 2019 West Indies

About the author

Dixit Bhargav

Born and brought up in Pathankot, Dixit Bhargav is an engineering and sports management graduate who works as a Cricket Editor at The SportsRush. Having written more than 10,000 articles across more than five years at TSR, his first cricketing memory dates back to 2002 when former India captain Sourav Ganguly had waved his jersey at the historic Lord’s balcony. What followed for an 8-year-old was an instant adulation for both Ganguly and the sport. The optimist in him is waiting for the day when Punjab Kings will win their maiden Indian Premier League title. When not watching cricket, he is mostly found in a cinema hall watching a Punjabi movie.

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