India v Sri Lanka, 2nd T20I - India's Predicted XI

India registered the biggest win in their T20I history in terms of runs on Tuesday and that sets up nicely for another juicy encounter at Indore. Lankan skipper Thisara Perera’s headache is only intensifying with every passing game, with their players’ performances hitting ground levels currently. Yet, the shortest format’s Bible suggests nothing can is predictable in T20 cricket.

KL Rahul registered an incredibly crucial half-century, which set the tone for the rest of the innings. Lack of ingenuity from the Lankan speedsters resulted in them conceding 180 runs on a two-paced track, where anything above 150 was a match-winning total. Take nothing away from MS Dhoni and Manish Pandey, who made the evening a tantalizing one at Cuttack with their exploits.

With the ball, the Indians absolutely bulldozed past the Islanders. Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal are making a strong case for themselves in the limited overs, which means the management might have to sideline the seniors Jadeja and Ashwin for some more time. At the end of the day, what the fans would be hoping for is some good entertainment and an Indian victory, two things which are recurring more often these days.

Here’s the Predicted XI of the Indian contingent. 

(Openers – KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma (C))

KL Rahul’s half-century in the previous game is still a long distance away from cementing his spot. He needs to pile up more runs to challenge Dhawan for his favorite opening slot. The lad played some delightful shots on the other day and it must’ve boosted his confidence. Rohit Sharma has been in outstanding form off-late and though he got out early in the previous game, the Lankans can ignore him at their own peril.

(Middle order – Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, MS Dhoni and Dinesh Karthik)

Almost everyone in the team barring Jasprit Bumrah and Rohit Sharma still are trying to prove a point and this is more applicable to Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey and Dinesh Karthik than anyone else. Iyer played a couple of brilliant knocks in the ODI series and Manish Pandey’s knock in the previous game was an absolute gem.

Coming to Dinesh Karthik, ever since he was roped into the side, he registered only one half-century. He didn’t get an opportunity to bat in the previous game and it’ll be interesting to see what Skipper Rohit does with him in this game.

No one rumbles with the King of the Jungle and people got a glimpse of what Dhoni can do when he comes in at number 4. He also went past AB de Villiers in the list of most fielding dismissals in T20Is. The fans were delighted to see Dhoni performing well and another good show from the great man will liven up Indore.

All-rounder – Hardik Pandya

Played a crucial role in cleaning up the tail. Hardik Pandya’s worth in this side is unquantifiable and he seems to be growing in stature with every game. It’s been a little while since people saw him bat, but the skipper is saving his best for the South Africa tour.

Bowlers – (Jasprit Bumrah, Jaydev Unadkat, Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav)

After conceding a boundary off the first ball after a 7-year International gap, Jaydev Unadkat bounced back strongly. He picked up a wicket in the same over and was palpably over the moon. He combined well with Bumrah to plunge them on the back foot. Bumrah bowled just two overs in the previous game and gave away only 10 runs. He is the most reliable bowler right now and he will be aiming to pick up some wickets before heading to South Africa.

If I had to place my bets on two spinners to succeed the Ashwin-Jadeja duo, I might as well pick these lads. But to have taken their place so early in their careers and having such an impact on the game was unexpected.

Chahal and Kuldeep proved their worth with an outstanding rendition despite the dew factor troubling others.These wrist spinners have bought their tickets to England for the World Cup for sure. But it’ll be interesting to see if they’ll be granted a boarding pass from the BCCI.