IND vs SA | India's Predicted XI for the first T20I in Dharamsala
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After a long spell abroad, India will be looking forward to playing cricket on home soil when they kick start the three-match T20 series against the Proteas on Sunday. The squad has a nice balance of youth and experience, with a focus on finding the right combinations for next year’s World Cup.
Openers
Rohit Sharma
Without a doubt one of the best cricketers of this era in the white ball formats, Rohit Sharma failed to replicate his World Cup form into the Caribbean tour but did chip in with a typical half-century in the second T20. Everyone knows what he is capable of and with him now being an opener across all three formats, the first of its kind India has had over the past few years, he will be eager to prove his worth to the national team.
Shikhar Dhawan
After a disappointing run of scores against West Indies, Dhawan seemed to be back to his best in the recent games for the ‘A’ team as he scored back-to-back half-centuries. A part of the big three that has led India to countless victories in the past few years, India won’t have much to worry about once he gets going with his aggressive hitting and cheeky shots.
Middle-order
Virat Kohli
The less one praises this man, the better for he keeps setting new standards and breaking records with each passing match. The best batsman of this generation in the limited over formats of the game, he will be expected to build a solid foundation to help the budding middle-order that comes after him to thrive.
Shreyas Iyer
Even though he was picked for the squad that went to the US and Guyana, the Delhi Capitals captain failed to get a single match in the game’s shortest format with Manish Pandey picked over him for all three games. However, Pandey failed to do anything significant, which paves the door for Iyer to shine after the youngster has already proved his worth in the IPL and the domestic circuit.
Rishabh Pant
Expected to be a long time fix for the void that will be left in the wicketkeeper batsman slot once MS Dhoni announces his inevitable retirement, the 21-year-old needs to start emulating his domestic form in the international arena before he falls out of favour with the fans and selectors. He needs to step up with the World T20 in sight and reaffirm people’s faith in his abilities.
All-rounders
Hardik Pandya
After a much needed break from cricket having produced some stellar all-round performances across formats in the past few months, an energized Hardik Pandya has the ability to turn the game on his head in a moment. Be it the ball, the bat or on the field, it is impossible to keep him out of the game which has seen him become one of India’s most key players in white-ball cricket.
Ravindra Jadeja
With subcontinent conditions comes the delight of playing three spinners and Jadeja’s recent form makes it hard for one to keep him out of the team. The tables have turned ever so quickly for him as he has gone from being an outcast to once again being the player the team looks up to in all kinds of dire situations, as was evident in the Caribbean tour.
Krunal Pandya
The rise of the Pandya brothers has been the story of the Indian cricket team in the recent past and the manner in which the two have grasped their opportunities is nothing short of incredible. He didn’t take long to cement his place in the squad having been named the player of the tournament in India’s latest tour and the inclusion of duo together will solidify India’s playing XI to a large extent.
Washington Sundar
What Ravichandran Ashwin used to be for MS Dhoni, Sundar has turned out to be for the new skipper Virat Kohli. Even though he bowls off-breaks, he has proved himself to be extremely useful in the power-plays as a prolific wicket taker while also frustrating the batsman by not letting them score freely. The series will provide him a good platform to strengthen his claim as a part of the World T20 squad.
Bowlers
Deepak Chahar
After his long awaited debut last year which had made him wait almost a decade, Bumrah’s absence from the squad means Chahar will be asked to shoulder the responsibility of the new ball. Often regarded as a power-play specialist as he has shown in the past two seasons with the Chennai Super Kings, he returned figures of 3/4 in the only match he got to play in the US and also provides some good depth to the batting lineup.
Navdeep Saini
Another emerging prospect among India’s fast bowling revolution, Saini’s variations will prove to be key in the Indian sub-continent and is more than enough to cover his lack of pace. His scintillating performances for Delhi in the domestic circuit followed by a breakthrough IPL season has seen him surge to the spotlight as one of the hopefuls for a World T20 spot next summer.
