3 Players Who Could Be Dropped From India's Playing XI For 4th T20I vs England

Debashis Sarangi

India will face England in 4th T20I [Source: AP]India will face England in 4th T20I [Source: AP]

After securing emphatic victories in the first two matches, India succumbed to a heartbreaking defeat in the third T20I against England in Rajkot. Led by Suryakumar Yadav, India couldn't chase 172, finishing their innings on 145 for nine in 20 overs, losing the match by 26 runs. 

Therefore, given that the hosts must be desperate to bounce back, they might make several bold changes to their playing combination for the fourth T20I. In such a scenario, three players might be dropped from India's playing XI from the last game, as mentioned below. 

1. Dhruv Jurel

  • Dhruv Jurel, who was retained by Rajasthan Royals for a whopping price of 14 Crores, hasn't had a great T20 career. The keeper-batter averages only 19.60 while striking at 131.87 in 33 innings in the shortest format. 
  • Despite being given regular opportunities, Jurel hasn't been able to live up to the expectations, managing only 12 runs in three innings. Therefore, considering his abysmal form in T20s, India might consider replacing Jurel with Shivam Dube, who can be a valuable asset in the middle order. 

2. Washington Sundar

  • Spin bowling all-rounder Washington Sundar was one of the major disappointments for India in the third T20I. After going wicketless and conceding 15 runs in one over, Sundar could contribute only six runs off 15 deliveries during the run-chase. 
  • His sloth-paced knock was one of the major reasons why India lost the plot in the second innings. So, considering his ineffectiveness as an all-rounder, the hosts might replace him with Ramandeep Singh lower down the order. 

3. Mohammed Shami

  • India's ace speedster Mohammed Shami played his first international match after a long injury layoff. However, the seamer couldn't impress the team management on his return, conceding 25 runs off three overs and going wicketless in the third T20I. 
  • As India lost the third T20I, they might bring their first-choice pacer Arshdeep Singh back into the playing XI. If Arshdeep returns, Shami could make way for him, with India likely to persist with their three-spinner strategy in Pune.