India's predicted playing XI for the 2nd T20I against England

A couple of days after a comprehensive 8-wicket defeat, the Indian cricket team take on England in the 2nd T20I of the 5-match series at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

India were never in the contest in the 1st T20I. An ultra-aggressive batting approach saw them lose their first three wickets within the powerplay, and although Shreyas Iyer played an inspired knock, the hosts managed only 124/7 in their 20 overs.

With the T20 World Cup at home looming ominously on the horizon, Virat Kohli's men can't afford to concede a 2-0 lead in the series. Here is India's predicted XI for the 2nd T20I against England.

---

Openers: KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan

Shikhar Dhawan's spot in the Indian team is under serious question

The opening combination, which managed a combined 5 runs in the 1st T20I, is certainly an issue for India to worry about.

Rohit Sharma, who has been rested for the first two matches, will return for the 3rd T20I and take one of the two opening slots. With Shikhar Dhawan having a poor record in the T20I format of late, he needs to put in an eye-catching performance to hold on to his place in the side.

Dhawan's partner, KL Rahul, is the highest-ranked T20I batsman for India. The 28-year-old has batted in the middle order in the past, but his best position is at the top. If he piles on the runs in the 2nd T20I, it would be impossible for Kohli and the team management to demote or drop him.

---

Middle Order: Virat Kohli (c), Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (wk)

Indian skipper Virat Kohli bagged a duck in the 1st T20I

Indian skipper Virat Kohli bagged a duck in the 1st T20I, and he desperately needs to pull himself out of the rut he is in. His century drought has been discussed at length, and the truth of the matter is that this is the worst form Kohli has been in since his ill-fated 2014 tour of England.

Following Kohli will be India's hero from the 1st T20I, Shreyas Iyer. The Mumbai-born batsman notched up 67 off 48 balls to add some respectability to the Indian total, and he seems to have done enough to keep Suryakumar Yadav out of the team for now.

At No. 5 will be Test hero Rishabh Pant, who is looking to stake a claim for a place in the limited-overs sides as well. The young southpaw pulled off another audacious reverse-sweep in the 1st T20I, but found a fielder in the deep just when the Indian innings seemed to be gaining momentum. He will want a substantial score in this game, with Rahul capable of donning the gloves as well.

---

All-rounders: Hardik Pandya, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel

Hardik Pandya bowled a couple of overs in the 1st T20I

Hardik Pandya sent down a couple of decent overs in the 1st T20I as India attempt to get him into the bowling groove ahead of the Indian Premier League and the T20 World Cup. The all-rounder couldn't make an impact with the bat in the previous game, and he'll look to replicate his Man of the Series performance against Australia a few months ago.

Spin-bowling all-rounders Washington Sundar and Axar Patel make up the rest of the batting lineup. While both bowlers were economical if not overly threatening, there is a case for India to include an extra pacer or a more attacking spinner.

But with Rahul Tewatia and Varun Chakravarthy failing fitness tests, and T Natarajan not part of the squad yet, Sundar and Axar are likely to be retained. The three-spinner strategy didn't work out in the last game as dew came into play, so Pandya may have to bowl more than two overs.

---

Bowlers: Shardul Thakur, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal

Yuzvendra Chahal broke the England opening partnership in the 1st T20I

In the team as much for his ability with the bat as with the ball, Shardul Thakur returned 0/16 in 2 overs and 0(1). But he adds depth to the batting lineup and swings the ball, so he should be given another go.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar's return to the Indian team didn't go to plan as he bowled two unimpressive overs for 15 runs, but he should hold on to his place in the side with Deepak Chahar consigned to the bench.

The final spot in the Indian playing XI will be taken up by the country's leading wicket-taker in T20I cricket. Yuzvendra Chahal's form in white-ball cricket has dropped off a little bit, but India don't have many other wicket-taking spinners.