IND vs SA 2025: 'I am picking Jitesh Sharma as my wicketkeeper as he is a good finisher' - Former India player picks India's XI for 1st T20I

Parthiv Patel opined that Arshdeep Singh and Sanju Samson might not be picked in India's playing XI for the first T20I against South Africa at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack on Tuesday, December 9.

Arshdeep, who is India's leading wicket-taker in T20Is, has only played a handful of games of late. This is because head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav have stuffed their team with multiple all-rounders, allowing the batters to go berserk from the outset.

Meanwhile, Sanju Samson had been one of India's standout players ahead of the Asia Cup in September. However, since Shubman Gill returned to the T20I side and took Samson's place at the top of the order, the Kerala wicketkeeper has slowly become an afterthought. The latter went on to lose his spot in the playing XI to Jitesh Sharma during the tour of Australia in November.

"Left and right combination at No. 3 and No. 4. That's (No. 5) the most interesting part here. That's where you have options. You have Shivam Dube, depending on if a spinner is bowling, that's how India have been trying to use him. If you look at the squad, Jitesh has the ability to finish the game, and that is the reason why Jitesh is my wicketkeeper," Patel said while speaking in an interaction on the Star Sports show, 'Follow the Blues'.

The former India wicketkeeper believes that the Men in Blue will continue with their strategy to play three spinners in the side, and this will force Arshdeep to sit out.

"Arshdeep doesn't get a place. This will be the XI when you are playing in Indian conditions. India's plan was spin to win in the Asia Cup. You might just get to see these kind of pitches, where you will have Varun, Axar and Kuldeep as your spinners, then Bumrah and Hardik, and Dube will give you some overs," Parthiv observed.

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Parthiv Patel's predicted Indian playing XI for 1st T20I vs South Africa: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy.