India vs Australia T20Is: 5 Indians to watch out for

The much-hyped ODI series, touted as a challenging outing for a rampaging India side, turned out to a routine drill for Kohli and men, who diffused the Australian test with ease to clean up four of the five matches.

The shortest, and the more unpredictable format follows, and it is not a one-off game (like in the previous series in West Indies and Sri Lanka), but a three-match series, one that is expected to be fought with the same intensity as its 50-over counterpart.

Here are five players that Indian fans would be looking forward to:

#5 KL Rahul

The Bangalore-born batsman scored 196 runs his three ODIs for India. The next seven innings has seen him garner just 54 runs. Despite the much-public backing of both Virat Kohli and MSK Prasad, Rahul failed to find a spot in any of the five games against Australia, not even in the fourth game at his hometown.

For the national side, KL Rahul has looked more comfortable playing the shortest format, where he averages an impressive 50.66, and has even scored a century in.

While the top-order will be packed with Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul might find a spot in the middle order, preferably after Virat Kohli at No.3.

#4 Kuldeep Yadav

Kuldeep Yadav impressed with his turn and bounce

The excitement garnered by the left-arm spin of Kuldeep Yadav was perceptible throughout the India-Australia ODIs: the turn generated on the wickets would have lit up most Indian followers' faces. Praise has been pouring in for the chinaman bowler, with Shane Warne and Brad Hogg proclaiming a bright future for the 22-year-old after his recent exploits.

In T20Is, the presence of an aggressive spinner like Kuldeep can really bring an X-factor to a bowling line-up. With his testing lines and perplexing trajectories, he can get some quick wickets in the middle overs. Under Gautam Gambhir, Kuldeep has managed some eye-catching performances, and could be part of a three-pronged spin for the T20Is attack if Kohli decides so.

#3 Axar Patel

Axar Patel is a much improved bowler from his early international days

The improvement from his early days of international cricket is more than evident, but there is still work to be done for Axar Patel, the all-rounder. He has evolved from his younger self who used to only dart the ball towards the batsman, to a canny spinner who juggles his pace and puts out his variations for the batsman to figure.

His batting seems to be the only weak spot for now, as he has struggled to come to terms with the international level, not managing to spend time at the crease and get going. He averages just over 12 with his technique not looking exactly the best.

His fielding is a bonus: quick reflexes, safe pair of hands and swift ground coverage make him an exciting prospect for the T20 team.

#2 Dinesh Karthik

Karthik made a comeback during the 2017 Champions Trophy

Dinesh Karthik has seen it all, from the World T20 triumph in 2007 to the 2013 Champions Trophy success six years later, Karthik has been a part of several memorable wins both in India and abroad. However, for a wicket-keeper batsman playing in India, he was extremely unlucky that his career coincided with a certain MS Dhoni, forcing his keeping skills to take a side step and making his batting a prominent criteria for selection.

He shone, but in patches, never managing the same consistency that he so easily presents in the domestic format. He has played over 100 internationals for India, but never manages more than 30 in any format.

An IPL veteran who has played for a number of teams, if Karthik can convert his erratic pieces of brilliance into a continued run of form, he might get eke out a spot for himself in the team.

#5 Ashish Nehra

Comeback at 38? Why not!

The king of comebacks makes yet another entry into the Indian team, this time as a 38-year-old in a team driven with fitness as a vital yardstick. Nehra has hardly ever been dropped because of lack of form: his fragile body has seen him undergo 12 surgeries, but like a creaking terminator, the Delhi 'lad' is back for yet another stint in blue.

His last international fixture was against the English this year, the same opponents against whom he first came to the limelight during the 2003 World Cup. The plan for Nehra might still not be clear, especially because of the importance being given to a super-fit India side for the 2019 World Cup, but the prospect of watching Nehra, one of the handful of current internationals who debuted in the 1990s, is a mouth-watering one, as he can still crank up his pace to the 140s.