No Ishan; Jaiswal & Mukesh To Make T20I Debuts: Here's India's Predicted Playing 11

image-lkthw0atHardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav will be a key for India in the middle-order in the T20Is (Source: AP Photos)

India won the ODI series 2-1 with an easy win in the 3rd ODI. Now it's time for the 5-match T20I series against the West Indies, which is expected to be a little more competitive as the West Indian players are expected to do well in the shortest format. 

There were a lot of expectations from the ODI series regarding the World Cup preparations, but we saw a lot of experiments, so much that Virat Kohli didn't play two games, and he didn't even come out to bat in the only game he played. With no Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the T20I squad, it'll be interesting to see what will be India's Playing XI for the T20I series. 

Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, and Mukesh Kumar could be in for their India debut in the T20 format. Yuzvendra Chahal and Avesh Khan are in the squad, and it'll be interesting too whether they get to play or not, and the curious case of Sanju Samson is always there. We'll mention India's probable playing XI and clear all your doubts before the first match. 


1. Shubman Gill

Shubman Gill is now one of the first names in the Indian line-up in all three formats. The young Indian batter has been exceptional in the last few months. Gill will open the innings in the T20I series for India. We all saw how what he could do in IPL 2023. Gill scored 126 runs in 3 games at an average of 42 in the 3 ODIs.


2. Yashasvi Jaiswal

Yashasvi Jaiswal scored 171 runs on his test debut in the first test of this tour. He was in exceptional form in the IPL 2023, and considering the success & the backing he has, Jaiswal is expected to open the innings alongside Shubman Gill. Yashasvi was the highest run-scorer of the test series, with 266 runs in 3 innings. He will be eager to perform well in the T20Is as well.

 

3. Suryakumar Yadav

With no Virat Kohli in the squad, it's evident that Suryakumar Yadav will bat at number 3 for India in the T20I series. Currently, he's one of the best T20 batters in world cricket. Known for his unorthodox batting style, Surya can win games single-handedly on his day. He has scored 267 runs in 6 T20I innings in 2023 at an average of 66.8, and his strike rate is 152.6. He has scored a century as well.


4. Sanju Samson (wk)

image-lkthy4jfSanju Samson played a hood knock in the final ODI (Source: AP Photos)

Number 4 is a tough spot to predict, as Ishan Kishan was the Man of the Series in the ODIs, but will India play him at number 4 with Sanju Samson and Yashasvi Jaiswal already there? We don't think so, at least for the 1st T20I. Kishan was exceptional, but with Jaiswal opening, Sanju Samson should bat at number 4. Samson scored a quick fire fifty in the 3rd ODI, and he'll look to grab this opportunity with both hands. He is a good player of spin bowling and can take the attack to the opposition in the middle overs.


5. Tilak Varma

With the Indian team in the "Experimentation Mode", it won't be surprising if Tilak Varma makes his debut in the 1st T20I against the West Indies. He was in excellent form in IPL 2023, where he scored 343 runs in 11 innings at an average of 42.87 and struck at 164.11, batting in the middle order. Tilak will provide a good left-hand option in the middle order.


6. Hardik Pandya (Captain)

image-lkti138zHardik Pandya will be leading India in the T20I Series (Source: Twitter)

Hardik Pandya will bat at number 6. He scored a game-changing knock of 70* in the 3rd ODI and helped India cross 350. Pandya will bowl 3-4 overs as well. He is amongst the best all-rounders in world cricket and has done an excellent job till now as the side's captain. Hardik will probably do the finishing duties in this series, with him batting at number 6. 


7. Axar Patel

Axar Patel will bat at 7 in the absence of Ravindra Jadeja. He is a utility player who can perform with both bat and ball. His batting has improved quite a bit, and he is a wicket-taker with the ball. Axar can tonk the ball in the last few overs and be a crucial spinner for the Indian side.


8. Kuldeep Yadav

Kuldeep Yadav was exceptional in the ODI series against the West Indies. He picked up seven wickets in 3 games. Kuldeep has been in good form in recent times, and based on his current form, he is expected to start ahead of Yuzvendra Chahal in the T20I series.


9. Arshdeep Singh

Arshdeep Singh will be the lead pacer for India in the T20I series. He can swing the new ball both ways, bowls at a high pace and is equally good in the death overs. Arshdeep has picked up eight wickets in the 5 T20Is he has played this year. He will be the go-to pacer for the Indian team in this series.


10. Avesh Khan

Avesh Khan should start now that he's in the squad. He will mainly bowl in the middle and death overs, with Hardik taking the new ball alongside Arshdeep in the power play. Avesh bowls a heavy ball with a good pace and will be a key bowler for India in the middle overs. He will be eager to do well on his national return.


11. Mukesh Kumar

image-lkti398aMukesh Kumar impressed with his performance in the last ODI (Source: Twitter)

Mukesh Kumar bowled well in the ODI series against West Indies. He picked up three wickets in the 3rd game. Mukesh did well in IPL 2023 playing for the Delhi Capitals, where he bowled with the new ball and then in the death overs. With Umran Malik's inconsistent performances, Mukesh may get the nod over him in this match. 


India's Probable Playing XI for First T20I vs West Indies

  1. Shubman Gill
  2. Yashasvi Jaiswal
  3. Suryakumar Yadav
  4. Sanju Samson (wk)
  5. Tilak Varma
  6. Hardik Pandya (c)
  7. Axar Patel
  8. Kuldeep Yadav
  9. Arshdeep Singh
  10. Avesh Khan
  11. Mukesh Kumar