India's Predicted Playing XI for T20Is against West Indies

With the three-match ODI series going India’s way, the T20I series is expected to be much more competitive. West Indies have won two T20 World Cups although their recent numbers in the format have gone down. With a number of match winners in both lineups, a mouth-watering T20I series is expected to take place between the sides. Rohit Sharma returns as skipper for India in the T20Is while KL Rahul is completely ruled out of the series as per the latest developments. Ravichandran Ashwin has returned to the squad while big names like Virat Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah, have been rested. Hardik Pandya’s phenomenal return since IPL has been a great boost to the side and he will be key to the success of the Indian side. On the other hand, West Indies is yet to announce their squad for the series and they are expected to bolster their lineup with destructive players. The T20 World Cup 2022 is set to arrive in a few months’ time and hence, both teams will be looking to experiment with different combinations. India’s predicted XI for West Indies T20Is 1. Rohit Sharma (c) Rohit Sharma v England. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images) Rohit Sharma was rested for the ODI series, but is back for the T20Is series and will lead the Indian side. The 35-year-old hasn’t been in the best of forms in the T20I setup since the IPL and this will be an important series for him to regain his old touch. Rohit hasn’t had particular problems but has found different ways to be dismissed. The right-hander had scores of 24, 31, and 11 in the three T20Is against England and could not make a big score which fans are used to seeing from his bat. Rohit’s captaincy has been supreme ever since he took over from Virat Kohli, however, his own batting form has taken a blow since the leadership duties came into his hands. However, Rohit is rated among the best openers going around in the world at the moment and is a certainty for the T20 World Cup. This will be the right time for him to get into a groove and with five T20Is in place, Rohit will eye the three-figure mark. 2. Rishabh Pant (wk) Rishabh Pant. (Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images) Rishabh Pant is likely to open the innings alongside Rohit as KL Rahul is totally out of the series now. Pant recently scored a fantastic century against England in the ODIs and he has been batting really well since his Test century on England tour recently. Pant will be one of the X-factor players for India in the T20 World Cup given his ability to smash the bowlers around the ground. He also adds to the left-hand right-hand combination India has been looking at the top and the 24-year-old is quite versatile when it comes to batting in the limited-overs. It has to be noted that Pant started as an opener in the U19 World Cup for India and he made a change to the middle order in IPL. However, with the middle order packed up on the T20I side, Pant is likely to be played at the top of the order for the five games which will be a different challenge altogether. 3. Shreyas Iyer Shreyas Iyer (Photo Source: Twitter/BCCI) Shreyas Iyer will slot in at number three in the absence of Virat Kohli, and he is likely to get the nod for the entire series at the position. Iyer had a terrific series against Sri Lanka when he played at number three and he is currently in good form in the ODIs against West Indies with two consecutive half centuries. The 27-year-old has played 42 T20Is so far where he faired decently with a batting average of 34 and a strike rate of 138. The Mumbai lad likes taking on the spinners and can hit a long ball. The right-hander had struggled while playing the short ball, however, in the T20I format, he might get away with it. Iyer still isn’t a certainty for the T20 World Cup with a lot of competition around him and hence, he needs a big series for him to make a case for himself. Virat Kohli’s poor form might just help Iyer’s selection for the T20 World Cup, however, Iyer needs to keep scoring runs for that to happen. 4. Suryakumar Yadav Suryakumar Yadav. (Photo by LINDSEY PARNABY/AFP via Getty Images) Suryakumar Yadav recently scored a stunning century against England in the third T20I and his versatility in the middle order makes him a trump card in the Indian batting lineup. The right-hander has got the goods to deliver in tough situations and plays a lot of unorthodox shots which makes him a difficult campaigner to bowl at. Suryakumar likes to use the pace of the bowlers and finds gaps in different parts of the field. He has the 360-degree shots in his book and his form is going to be crucial for India in the limited-overs setup. The 31-year-old had three failures in the ODI series against West Indies but the panic button is yet to be switched on. Suryakumar has a strike rate of 177 in T20Is for India and he is one of the safest fielders going around. His calmness is one of the main attributes that India has been impressed with and the five T20Is against West Indies will be an excellent platform for him to get ready for the T20 World Cup. 5. Hardik Pandya Hardik Pandya (Photo Source: Twitter/BCCI) Hardik Pandya‘s recent form has brought a lot of belief and confidence into the Indian side and he definitely looks in great rhythm since the IPL 2022. His leadership skills have been great and have led from the front in the Ireland T20Is. The 28-year-old will be the key factor for India in the T20 World Cup as he brings the all-round option to the table. Hardik has finished off games in a splendid manner for India and has contributed with both bat and ball for India in recent times. He picked up a four-wicket-haul and scored a half-century in the first t20I against England and his return to the side has made a big difference already. The fact that Hardik is quite explosive with the bat inside the top six and is more than a handy sixth bowler makes him such a valuable asset for the Indian side at the moment. Hardik has been quite responsible with the bat since his comeback to the side and is expected to take the number five position in the five T20Is. 6. Dinesh Karthik Dinesh Karthik. (Photo Source: BCCI) Dinesh Karthik has been recalled into the Indian side mainly for the finisher’s role that he displayed for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2022. The veteran wicketkeeper batter has been proving from time to time that age is just a number and he is expected to slot in at number six for India. Karthik has played very few deliveries coming down the order but he has the ability to find the gaps consistently. He brought up his maiden half-century in the format against South Africa in the home series, however, since that he hasn’t had many big scores which will be a concern. Karthik has been in the plans for the T20 World Cup 2022 and hence, his experience was always an added advantage for the Indian side. The upcoming five-match T20I series against West Indies will provide the perfect platform for Karthik to get back among the runs for India. 7. Ravindra Jadeja Ravindra Jadeja. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images) Ravindra Jadeja missed out from the playing XI in the ODI series against West Indies after picking up a knee injury, however, he is expected to be back in the XI for the T20Is. Jadeja looked in good touch with the bat in the series against England and he can bat inside the top six if needed. Jadeja has grown in heaps and bounds in the last few years, especially with the bat and he has sealed his spot in the Indian side in all three formats. The 33-year-old is no longer the four-over bowler in the T20 format as he can be expensive if the pitch doesn’t offer him assistance. Jadeja apart from his batting and bowling abilities saves a lot of runs on the field and his bullet throws can be quite handy. India’s middle order will depend on Jadeja alongside Dinesh Karthik and Hardik Pandya, and he will be looking to have some runs under his belt and some game time ahead of the Asia Cup. 8. Harshal Patel Harshal Patel. (Photo Source: BCCI) Harshal Patel has held his position in the playing XI as India’s third seamer and he can use a long handle down the order. The 31-year-old has taken 23 wickets in 17 T20Is so far at an average of 20.9 so far in the Indian colours. He has been a regular in the shorter format for India since his debut last year and is likely to make it to the T20 World Cup 2022. Harshal has put his hand up whenever the team has needed him and has taken the responsibilities of bowling the tough overs. His change of pace and variations makes him a match-winner and has been quite economical most of the games. The 31-year-old is seen as a T20 specialist and is currently, not considered for the ODIs. With two big tournaments, the Asia Cup and the T20 World Cup coming up, Harshal will need to ensure he is in good rhythm and the upcoming West Indies will be a good challenge for him. Also, with the strong hitters that West Indies have, Harshal has to be on his toes. 9. Bhuvneshwar Kumar Bhuvneshwar Kumar. (Photo by RODGER BOSCH / AFP) (Photo by RODGER BOSCH/AFP via Getty Images) Bhuvneshwar Kumar recently bagged the player of the series in the T20Is against England, and he has looked in great form in recent times. The veteran seamer has been economical in the powerplay and his length and lines have been remarkable along with his ability to swing the ball both ways. Bhuvneshwar managed to dismiss one of the best T20 players, Jos Buttler twice in the T20Is and he has a big impact on the Indian side when he is on song. The 32-year-old will now enjoy bowling against the West Indies where the pitches do offer some assistance to the swing bowlers. Bhuvneshwar at number eight is a very handy batter and he can also be used in the death overs when the need arises. He has got the ability to nail the yorkers and his combination alongside Jasprit Bumrah is expected to be the way to go in the T20 World Cup for India. 10. Kuldeep Yadav Kuldeep Yadav (Photo Source: Delhi Capitals) Kuldeep Yadav was unfortunate to miss out from the T20Is against South Africa at the last moment after suffering an injury and he wasn’t in the squads for the tour of England and Ireland. However, he has now been named in the squad for the West Indies T20Is which will be a great opportunity for him. Kuldeep had a spectacular IPL 2022 season which booked his return to the international setup and with Yuzvendra Chahal being rested, India will look to give an opportunity to the chinaman. Kuldeep has got the ability to turn around matches with dream spells and he is tough to stop when he finds his mojo. With 41 wickets in 24 T20Is at an average of 14.8, Kuldeep will be a force to reckon with in the T20Is and he is expected to be the first choice spinner ahead of R Ashwin. India has gone back to the theory of wrist spin which brought a lot of success in the middle overs instead of finger spinners. 11. Avesh Khan Avesh Khan. (Photo Source: Twitter) Avesh Khan recently made his ODI debut for India against the West Indies and so far, he has fared well in the few international games he has played. The right-arm speedster has dropped down on pace but has managed to keep his length and lines going which is a must in the current T20I standards. Avesh also has the ability to nail his yorkers and with no Jasprit Bumrah in the series, Avesh will get his chances alongside Bhuvneshwar and Harshal Patel. The 25-year-old has picked up a four-wicket haul already in the 9 T20Is he has played and will be looking to make a mark in the series. Avesh is quite young still and he can go for runs at times, however, he has been gaining much-needed exposure and should be one of the future pacers for India. He has got stiff competition around and he needs to be on the money whenever he gets his chances.

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India's Predicted Playing XI for T20Is against West Indies

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