3 changes that could help the Indian T20 team cement the No. 1 ranking

India, who won the recently concluded T20 series against England, have some minor problems in the squad which can be addressed by bringing in some new players.

India won the T20I series against England 2-1, and lost the ODI series by the same margin. But they need some fresh players who can solve the batting woes in the middle.

India will tour Australia later this year, which is always a challenge. The Aaron Finch-led Australia looks formidable, with talented players like Glenn Maxwell, Andrew Tye and Billy Stanlake. After India's tour, Australia will come to India in February and will play five ODIs and two T20s - so there is a lot of cricket to be played against the men from Down Under in the next few months.

The last time these two teams met in Australia, the visitors won with a margin of 3-0. This time, India will go into the series with the No. 1 ranking on the line.

Here, we look at the possible changes to the T20 team which might help India cement the No. 1 spot.

#3 Shreyas Iyer in place of Manish Pandey

Shreyas Iyer.

Manish Pandey was a part of the Indian T20 side which played against Ireland and England. Pandey got a chance to showcase his skills in the two T20s against Ireland, but he didn't quite succeed in that.

In the first T20, Pandey didn't get a chance to bat; in the second, he scored 21 off 20 balls. He has been in pale form since the start of the IPL, which puts a question mark on his place in the side.

Pandey made his T20 debut against Zimbabwe in 2015. He has scored 515 runs at an average of 42.91 and strike rate of 126.23 in his 25 T20I games.

Shreyas Iyer, meanwhile, missed his national spot for the England series. Iyer made his international debut against Sri Lanka in 2017. He is an integral part of the Delhi Daredevils squad and led his team in the second half of IPL 2018.

In the 6 T20s that he has played, Iyer has scored 83 runs at an average of 16.6. However, his domestic and IPL performances suggest that he has the potential to do much better if given an extended run.

Iyer will be aiming to return to the national team for the tour of Australia. If he is selected, he can provide extra stability to the Indian middle order while also executing the big hits at the death to perfection.

#2 Krishnappa Gowtham in place of Washington Sundar

Krishnappa Gowtham

Washington Sundar, the off-spin all-rounder, made his international debut against Sri Lanka in 2017. He was quite impressive in IPL 2017 for the Rising Pune Supergiant, which earned him his maiden call-up to the Indian squad.

Sundar was also quite impressive for the Indian team in the few matches that he got to play.

He was drafted by Royal Challengers Bangalore for INR. 1.2 crores at this year's auction. But in IPL 2018, Sundar didn't make an impact and was out of the lineup after a few games.

Krishnappa Gowtham, on the other hand, made his IPL debut for Rajasthan Royals against Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2018. He became an overnight star for his innings against Mumbai Indians, when he smacked the bowlers all over the park to steal a last-gasp victory for his side.

Gowtham was explosive with the bat for Rajasthan Royals, and was one of the main reasons for them qualifying for the playoffs. With Sundar's performances on the downswing, it might be a good idea for the Indian national team selectors to give Gowtham a chance.

#1 Rishabh Pant in place of Dinesh Karthik

Rishabh Pant.

Dinesh Karthik made his international debut against England in 2004, and he made headlines recently for his exploits with the bat for the Kolkata-based franchise.

Karthik made his T20I debut against South Africa in 2006. He was a part of the T20 World Cup winning India squad. In the 21 matches he has played, he has scored 269 runs at an average of 29.89.

Rishabh Pant made his IPL debut against Suresh Raina's Gujarat Lions in 2016. He went on to make his debut for the Indian side in 2017 against England.

Ahead of the 2018 auctions, Delhi retained the services of Pant, and he responded to their faith in fine style - by scoring 648 runs from his 14 games.

In the 4 T20I games that he has played, Pant has scored 73 runs at an average of 24.33. With a middle order that has been struggling for consistency, India could well look to Pant to help solve their problems.

Sure, Karthik has been in phenomenal form since the start of the IPL. But he hasn't got many games for India in the series against Ireland and England, so the younger Pant could well be a better solution.