India vs Australia 2019: India's strongest XI for T20I series

Middle Order: Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, MS Dhoni and Dinesh Karthik

MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli

The no 3 slot in the Indian team is a no-brainer. Skipper Virat Kohli is back in the mix and will assume charge of the crucial position at one-down. Regarded as one of the modern day masters, Kohli would undoubtedly serve as Australia's biggest hurdle in the bilateral series. The run-machine, in combination with Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan, forms an envious top order for the Indians and will be looking to dominate with his class yet again.

Young sensation, Rishabh Pant is an exciting prospect at no 4. Possessing the power game to tear into the opposition's bowling attack with immediate effect, Pant can be quite intimidating in the T20 format. The youngster would be an ideal fit in the middle order, given the experience of the other batsmen who are likely to bat above and below him the order.

The flamboyance and flair of Rishabh Pant can be perfectly complemented by the class of MS Dhoni at the subsequent slot. Apart from shouldering the middle-order responsibilities with his experience and the ability to go big at the death, Dhoni will also be banked on for his ever-so-reliable wicketkeeping skills.

A T20 veteran by now, Karthik's recent heroics have earned him the reputation of a hard-hitting batsman. From scripting one of India's most famous glories in the Nidahas Trophy final in 2018 to nearly pulling off another heist against New Zealand in the 3rd T20I earlier this month, the Tamil Nadu cricketer has proved his skill time and again.

And given that he has been omitted from the ODI squad, Karthik might just be filled with the spite to prove the selectors wrong.