5 Players who could be picked for the West Indies T20I Series

The Indian team began the West Indies Series with a thumping victory in the Test Series where they dominated the visitors and won the Series 2-0. The ODI series though has seen a much more even contest.

West Indies have performed brilliantly with the bat scoring more than 300 in both the matches so far. The visitors have managed to tie the second match and the Series is still wide open.

Indian team, on the other hand, would look to utilise the entire West Indies tour to try different players keeping the World Cup in mind. Indian team management would definitely try the players on the bench in the final two ODIs and in the T20 Series that is to follow.

This would give an opportunity to a number of new players to make an impact and secure their place in the X1 for the World Cup. This Article tries to list out the players who might be included in the Indian squad for the T20 series.

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#5 Krunal Pandya

Krunal Pandya is the brother of Hardik Pandya and is a brilliant All-rounder who has been performing well recently. He has produced a number of impressive performances in the shortest format of the game.

Pandya has been the backbone of the Mumbai Indians team for the last two years and has been knocking the doors of the Indian team for some time now. He has also performed pretty well for the Baroda team in domestic competitions.

In the ongoing Deodhar Trophy, Pandya played the first match and bowled brilliantly picking up the important wicket of Mayank Agarwal and troubling Shreyas Iyer regularly. He is the ideal replacement for his brother in Indian conditions and it is time that he is given an opportunity to play for the country. West Indies Series also provides an ideal opportunity debut new players and this time he might be making his debut for the Indian team.

#4 Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant is one of the most promising players in the Indian domestic setup. He has already played for the country in Tests and ODIs and there is a definite possibility that he will be picked in the Indian team for the upcoming T20 series.

Pant made his Test debut in the England series and was below-par in his first two Tests, but he proved his talent with a phenomenal century in the final Test of the series. He backed up his performance in England with two 90+ scores in the two Tests against West Indies.

Pant has been identified as the future replacement of Mahendra Singh Dhoni and it is extremely important that he plays some games alongside the man. His presence will also be a huge boost to India's chances in the next World Cup as India is in a desperate need for a finisher and Pant is capable of providing the final flourish to the Indian batting in the World Cup.

#3 Mohammed Siraj

Mohammed Siraj is a promising fast bowler who first made headlines when he was picked by the Sunrisers Hyderabad franchise this year for a huge price. Siraj has gone from strength to strength since then.

Siraj has been a consistent domestic performer and has already made his debut for the Indian team. He didn't have a great start to his International career and was therefore dropped in the next series.

He went back to the domestic circuit and has again performed brilliantly to earn a call-up for the India A side in the Deodhar Trophy. In the premier domestic competition he bowled brilliantly in the limited opportunities he got, and he is yet again knocking the doors of the Indian team.

Indian team's bowling unit still doesn't look settled for the World Cup as the slots for two pacers are still up for grabs. A brilliant performance in this series followed by a decent performance in the Australian series would seal Siraj's place in the World Cup squad.

#2 Siddarth Kaul

The first two matches of the India-West Indies ODI series has proved that India's bowling resources in limited overs cricket beyond the Bumrah-Bhuvneshwar Kumar duo is still bare. Both Shami and Umesh Yadav have leaked a lot of runs and selectors might look at replacing them in the T20 series.

Siddarth Kaul is another player who has already played for the country in the shortest format but hadn't made the full use of that opportunity. He was a part of the Indian team for the Ireland Series where he didn't perform to his potential.

Kaul was dropped for the England series but was again called up as Shardul Thakur's replacement for the Asia Cup. He didn't get a game and was dropped again for the West Indies ODI series.

Kaul has performed well for the India A side and it is expected that he would be picked for the West Indies series as Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Bumrah are likely to be rested for the T20 series.

#1 Washington Sundar

Washington Sundar is one of the most promising young All-rounders in Indian Cricket at present. He has already played for the country and was dropped from the Indian side for the England tour only because of an injury.

Washington was the player of the Series in the Nidadhas Trophy where he single handedly scripted India's victory with the ball. He is a spinner who has the ability bowl under any circumstances and is also a batsman who can bat anywhere in the batting order.

Washington has performed at the highest level with great ease and is a talent which should be protected. It is important that players like him are backed so that he plays to his potential and brings glory for the country.

The third spinner's role in the Indian squad is still up for grabs as Kohli has tried a number of players like Jadeja and Axar Patel with little success. Washington should be given a chance to prove his ability once again in the West Indies T20 Series.