Shami, Jurel To Be Excluded? India's Probable Playing XI For 4th T20I vs England

Rajgeeta Yadav

Team India set to face England in the 4th T20I [Source: AP]Team India set to face England in the 4th T20I [Source: AP]

India will take on England in the fourth T20I of the ongoing five-match series. The match will be played at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on January 31. Suryakumar Yadav-led Team India will look to bounce back after a rare defeat against Jos Buttler’s side in the previous match in Rajkot.

Despite leading the series, India suffered a 26-run loss in the last game, with the batting lineup collapsing. Hardik Pandya was the lone warrior, scoring 40 runs. Meanwhile, Varun Chakaravarthy impressed with the ball, picking up five wickets, but his efforts went in vain as England set a challenging total of 171. Ben Duckett’s 51 and Liam Livingstone’s 43 played a crucial role in England’s victory.

With India now leading 2-1 in the series, the team management might consider making a few changes to avoid levelling the series:

Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson to Continue as Openers

India are expected to continue with Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson as openers. While Samson is yet to find his rhythm in the series, Abhishek, who smashed a half-century in the first T20Is has struggled to maintain consistency in the last two matches.

Shivam Dube Likely To Replace Dhruv Jurel

Dhruv Jurel might be replaced in the playing XI, with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) all-rounder Shivam Dube being a strong contender to take his spot. Jurel has been out of form, scoring just 2 and 4 runs in the last two innings, with a poor strike rate of 66.67.

Shivam Dube, who was brought in as a replacement for Nitish Reddy, is yet to feature in India’s playing XI. Given that he is part of India’s T20 World Cup squad, his inclusion could strengthen the middle order with his finishing abilities.

Mohammed Shami Might Be Benched

Another possible change could see Mohammed Shami being dropped from the playing XI. The veteran pacer, who was included in the last match, failed to make an impact, going wicketless and conceding 25 runs. With India already having a frontline seamer in Arshdeep Singh, Shami’s place in the squad remains uncertain.

Arshdeep Singh, India’s leading wicket-taker in T20Is, is a must-have in the playing XI, especially in a crucial game like this. Hardik Pandya is also expected to contribute with the ball.

India’s spin department will likely remain the same, with Ravi Bishnoi and Varun Chakaravarthy leading the attack, supported by Washington Sundar and Axar Patel.

India's Probable Playing XI For 4th T20I vs England

Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Dhruv Jurel, Hardik Pandya, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh