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Shivam Dube, Sanju Samson And...4 IND Players Who Will Be Dropped For 1st T20I vs SL

Samson and Dube might not play 1st T20I [X]Samson and Dube might not play 1st T20I [X]

India will lock horns with Sri Lanka in the inaugural T20I of the upcoming three-match series on July 27, Saturday, at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy. This will be India's first T20I assignment under Suryakumar Yadav's leadership. 

Hailed as India's Mr 360, Surya replaced Rohit Sharma as the Indian captain following the latter's T20I retirement after India's T20 World Cup triumph. 

Additionally, the appointment of Gautam Gambhir and Shubman Gill as the head coach and vice-captain, respectively, marks the beginning of a new chapter in Indian cricket. 

However, the Indian think tank faces the problem of plenty ahead of the first T20I. With several players contesting for limited spots, a few unlucky cricketers might miss out on selection as mentioned below. 


Sanju Samson

Swashbuckling keeper-batter Sanju Samson recently played a glorious innings as he bailed India out of trouble in the final T20I against Zimbabwe. 

However, with Rishabh Pant returning to the squad, Samson might miss the first T20I, as India will likely pick the former as their wicket-keeper. 


Shivam Dube

Shivam Dube in action [X]Shivam Dube in action [X]

Much like Sanju Samson, explosive left-handed batter Shivam Dube could also be excluded from India's playing XI for the first match. Dube played a pivotal role in India's World Cup final win over South Africa. 

However, he might lose his spot to Hardik Pandya, who will be India's first-choice seam-bowling allrounder. 

Additionally, India might pick Rinku Singh as their finisher, considering his extraordinary pace-hitting attributes. 


Riyan Parag

Rajasthan Royals' middle-order mainstay, Riyan Parag, finally made his T20I debut in the recently held Zimbabwe series after having an impressive IPL stint. 

However, he couldn't capitalise on the limited chances he got, managing only 24 runs in two innings. 

So, given India have most of their first-choice middle order players, Parag is all set to warm the bench in the first T20I. 


Khaleel Ahmed

Promising left-arm seamer Khaleel Ahmed made his India comeback as a reserve player for the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and United States. 

However, the 26-year-old couldn't grab the limelight during the Zimbabwe T20Is, scalping only three wickets in as many outings. 

Also, considering Gautam Gambhir's keenness to test Hardik Pandya's bowling fitness, India might be inclined to go with three spinners and only two pure pacers- Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Siraj- resting Khaleel for the first T20I.