Ireland vs India, 2nd T20I: India Predicted XI

Following a win in the first T20 international in Dublin, India will now face the might of the Irish yet again as the second T20I beckons in Dublin. However, having been the beneficiary of a mammoth 82-run win in the first match, it would seem quite clear that a 2-0 clean sweep is more or less expected. As far Virat Kohli and his band of merry men are concerned, this is something that will give them immense confidence when it comes to the upcoming England tour.

One aspect the Indian cricketing management will be looking at will be to tweak the side a wee bit in order to give everyone on the team a chance to play. In addition, the Indians will also be hoping not to overstep the changes they will be expected to make without disturbing the rhythm of the current side. That said, the Indians will certainly be hoping to make it count in the second and final T20I they will be playing in Ireland.

Here is the predicted XI of the Indian team

Openers: KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan

With Shikhar Dhawan in sublime form and the Indians not wanting to disturb the momentum, it is highly likely that the southpaw will keep his place in the side. He is also in the form of his life and can seemingly do no wrong at the moment as well. However, there is also the minor issue of the opening partner for Dhawan. While Rohit Sharma may well have missed out on a century in the previous match, it is likely that KL Rahul gets the nod.

The Karnataka batsman had a fantastic outing in the IPL with the Kings XI Punjab and made it count with the bat as he helped himself to a few high scores in the tournament as well. With Ambati Rayudu left out of the side, Rahul would seem to be the next opening option for Dhawan as Shastri and Kohli may well be looking to give him some playing time.

Middle Order: Virat Kohli (C), Manish Pandey, Suresh Raina

All the three of these middle-order batsmen Kohli, Pandey, and Raina missed out on making a mark in the first T20I with four of the top six batsmen receiving just the 30 odd deliveries to make something of an impact. While Raina failed with the bat quite badly, Kohli was also dismissed for a frugal score while Manish Pandey did not face a single delivery. With the likes of Dinesh Karthik also in the side, Kohli will be keen that the current crop make amends before thrusting another to the fore.

It is also evident that Kohli and Pandey have not been in the best of form in recent times. In fact, Manish Pandey had a rather distasteful IPL but has been picked in the side despite this.

Wicketkeeper: MS Dhoni

Dhoni contributed a boundary and a six with the bat and a couple of stumpings in the first match. This is an ideal situation for any team that the 36-year old features in. Therefore, it is highly likely that he will continue with the gloves despite Dinesh Karthik awaiting his call to arms on the fringes.

All-rounder: Hardik Pandya

Hardik Pandya faced just the one delivery in the match against the Irish and that landed well over the rope. With the ball, however, he was less than lethal conceding in excess of 11 runs an over. Kohli will be hoping that the 24-year old gets his act together as the England series beckons.

Spinners: Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav

The spin twins of Chahal and Kuldeep shared seven wickets between them in the first match with the latter being the beneficiary of some fantastic economy rate as well. The duo will be expected to continue in their respective roles for the upcoming T20I as well.

Fast Bowlers: Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddharth Kaul

Bhuvneshwar Kumar was at his best in the first match and as economical as ever. Jasprit Bumrah also impressed with some fantastic bowling and it seemed as though the duo complemented each other quite well. However, with both of them playing all three formats, Siddharth Kaul may well get his call-up to arms for the Indian side.