India's strongest playing XI for the T20I series against England

The Indian cricket team recently announced a 19-man squad for the upcoming 5-match T20I series against England.

Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav and Rahul Tewatia got maiden call-ups to the side after their brilliant performances in last year's Indian Premier League. Varun Chakravarthy, who made the T20I squad for the Australia tour but was ruled out due to injury, has been given another opportunity.

Rishabh Pant makes a comeback to the Indian T20I team after stellar performances in the Test format, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar also finds his way back after recovering from an injury. Senior pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami aren't part of the squad, and Ravindra Jadeja is yet to recover from the finger injury he sustained Down Under.

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India's squad and strongest XI for the England T20Is

India's squad for the T20I series against England: Virat Kohli (c), Rohit Sharma (vc), KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Yuzvendra Chahal, Varun Chakravarthy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Rahul Tewatia, T Natarajan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Deepak Chahar, Navdeep Saini, Shardul Thakur

We take a look at what India's strongest playing XI could look like for the series against England, which will take place in Ahmedabad from March 12.

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Openers: Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul

KL Rahul is one of the best T20I batsmen in the world at the moment

Vice-captain Rohit Sharma has long been partnered by Shikhar Dhawan when the southpaw is fit, but it might be time for a change at the top of the order. Dhawan has scored only 2 fifties in his last 19 T20Is, and his replacement - KL Rahul - is clearly one of the best T20I batsmen in the world right now.

Rahul has been used at Nos. 4 and 5 in the recent past, but there's no arguing the fact that his best position is as an opener. The Punjab Kings skipper was the Orange Cap winner in the IPL, and might be the right man to partner Rohit in the upcoming T20 World Cup.

It remains to be seen what the team management's thinking is in this regard. If they opt to continue to back Dhawan and preserve the right-left opening combination, Rahul might have to drop down to No. 4.

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Middle Order: Virat Kohli (c), Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk)

Suryakumar Yadav has finally gotten a call-up to the Indian cricket team

Captain Virat Kohli is expectedly the No. 3 batsman in this XI. The 32-year-old hasn't scored an international century in over a year, although Indian fans will hope that the scenario is different after the 3rd and 4th Tests.

Coming in at No. 4 is Suryakumar Yadav, who is primed to make his debut after getting a call-up that has been delayed beyond measure. Yadav has waited years for this moment, and he'll be eager to grab this opportunity with both hands.

Shreyas Iyer hasn't put too many feet wrong in T20s - he led his IPL team Delhi Capitals to the final, and put in a Man of the Match performance against New Zealand last year. But a couple of disappointing outings are all it takes to be dropped in this age of cut-throat selection.

The wicket-keeping gloves have been donned by KL Rahul in T20I cricket recently, but Rishabh Pant's markedly improved glovesmanship could mean that he finds himself behind the stumps once again. The southpaw has a poor record in the format, but he's in great form and high on confidence.

Pant is primed to have a great series, with his U-19 captain Ishan Kishan now breathing down his neck for a spot in the side.

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All-rounders: Hardik Pandya, Washington Sundar

Hardik Pandya seems fit to bowl

With reports coming in that Hardik Pandya is now fit enough to bowl 4 overs on a regular basis, he will be even more valuable to the team than he was against Australia. The all-rounder, batting at No. 6, will play the finisher's role in the absence of Ravindra Jadeja. He will also serve as the fourth seam option, or third if the pitch in Ahmedabad offers a lot of turn.

India T20I regular Washington Sundar slots in at No. 7 in this strongest XI. The off-spinning all-rounder hasn't contributed with the bat much in T20I cricket, and he'll be keen on changing that in this series. Always consistent and economical with the ball, he'll give his skipper a powerplay spin-bowling option.

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Bowlers: Shardul Thakur, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, T Natarajan

Yuzvendra Chahal has been a tad inconsistent in the T20I format

Shardul Thakur is slowly worming his way into the all-rounders category, but as of now, he is still a bowler. And he is a bowler who has done well in the limited opportunities he has gotten so far.

Thakur found swing at any stage of the innings against Australia, and was decent at the death as well. Although he may not be required at the fag end of the innings this time around, he is certainly a wicket-taking asset captain Kohli would love to call upon.

Thakur might get the nod ahead of Navdeep Saini and Deepak Chahar, both of whom had forgettable outings during the white-ball leg of the Australia tour. If the wicket is a turner and Pandya is fit to bowl, India may opt to play three spinners by fielding Axar Patel.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who is making a return from a hip injury he sustained during the IPL, will lead the pace attack in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami. The veteran pacer will have support at the death from T Natarajan, who is one of the first names on the Indian T20I teamsheet despite having played only 3 games so far.

Yuzvendra Chahal is one player whose spot in the team isn't confirmed. Mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy adds an extra dimension to the bowling attack, while Axar Patel could give the batting lineup enviable depth. But the leg-spinner should make the cut thanks to his wicket-taking ability and the trust captain Kohli has in him.

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India's strongest playing XI for the England series: Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli (c), Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, T Natarajan