India vs Australia 2019: Players to watch out for in T20I 

The two cricketing giants are ready to lock horns yet again to offer mouth-watering encounters starting with two-off T20I series from 24th Feb in Visakhapatnam. Australians are geared up to give the Indians a tough fight after their humiliation in their own backyard. On the other hand, Indians are high on confidence after their domination in Australia and New Zealand. But their form in T20I is a bit worrying factor as they settled for a 1-1 draw against the Aussies and losing 1-2 to the Kiwis. Still, Indians are the favourites with their home advantage as well as having a full-fledged squad. Both the nations are looking forward to picking the best combination from their remaining few matches to strengthen their respective squad for the mega event in England. Here are the few players who could make an impact in the T20I series.

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#1 KL Rahul

KL Rahul

KL Rahul, an exquisite manoeuvrer of the cricketing ball, has been out of form for the past few series. To add to his woes he was handed an interim ban from international cricket for his controversial statement in a talk show. Hence he was dropped from the limited overs squad during Australia and New Zealand tour.

Last year his avg in T20I was 36 at a strike rate close to 150. His top two innings were one against Ireland scoring 70 off just 36 balls followed by a glorious 101* (54 balls) against England in Old Trafford. But in his next 7 outings, he just managed to score 111 runs with an avg of mere 18.5.

He will be coming with all guns blazing against the Aussies to regain his entity. A player of his caliber is expected to grab the given opportunities.

#2 Adam Zampa

Adam Zampa

Australian wrist spinner Adam Zampa is one of the most impactful and economical bowlers in recent times as far as limited overs cricket is concerned. Not only he has the knack of picking up crucial wickets but also restrains the opposition from scoring free-flowing runs by bowling tight spells.

In ODI's he has 42 wickets with an economy of just 5.62 which is sensational for a bowler of this era. He had also picked up 22 wickets with an avg of 18.27 and an economy of just 6 in T20I. In IPL 2017 he bagged 19 wickets with an avg of just 14.63 with best figures of 6-19.

Zampa has tormented the Indian batting order in the past with his variation. Likes of Rohit, Virat, Dhoni has a stern test against this leggie. He would fancy his chances of exploiting the Indian tracks as he did in the past in IPL.

#3 Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant, the recipient of emerging player of the year 2018, has been the revelation of Indian cricket. He bagged the Orange Cap in IPL 2018 by amassing 684 runs with a marauding strike rate around 160. This stellar performance earned him a Test Cap. He did not let his team down. Scored a sparkling century in the last test of England tour in Oval and also had a decent show behind the stumps in the whole series

He continued his merry form by scoring 350 runs at an avg of 58.33 with a scintillating 159* in Sydney against Aussies in 4 match test series. He has vindicated his worth as a wicket-keeper batsman in Test cricket.

In ODI's he did not get that much of opportunity due to Dhoni's presence but in T20I he had his moments in recent times. With some cameos in New Zealand, he is due for a big score and is certainly in contention as a second keeper to board the flight to England.

#4 Jhye Richardson

Jhye Richardson

Australians have always carried the traditional art of fast bowling. Jhye Richardson is the latest addition to that legacy. He came into the limelight with his magical spell of 4-26 against India in Sydney. Indian batsmen had no clue what so ever against his hostile spells. Even the great King Kohli was yielded to Richardson's nagging lengths.

He had picked up 6 wickets with an avg of just 18.57 in the bilateral ODI series against India. He has also 9 wickets from 7 T20I matches.

Uphill task awaits Richardson as this is his first tour to sub-continent and he has to combat with the flat batting tracks. He will be cherishing the opportunity as he knows these conditions will certainly help him to flourish as a bowler. Having said that Jhye Richardson will still be a menace to the Indians and could well prove to be the match winner.

#5 Vijay Shankar

Vijay Shankar

Having a steady run in the domestic circuit helped Vijay Shankar to grab his place in India's T20I side as he was first picked for Nidahas Trophy in Bangladesh. He was unable to make any such impression.

Hardik Pandya's exclusion from India's squad against Australia and New Zealand (first 2 ODI's) earned Vijay Shankar a spot in Indian squad after few months. His temperament was tested in the last ODI against New Zealand where he came to bat when India was in the brink with 18-4. He soaked up the pressure with Ambati Rayudu by playing a crucial knock of 45. In the T20I series, he also showed his hitting abilities with some quickfire runs.

Selectors have rewarded his mini performances by picking him for the T20I as well as in the ODI's against Australia. Vijay Shankar can be India's trump card for the T20I series for his sharp batting skill and also as a backup bowling option.

#6 Marcus Stoinis

Marcus Stoinis

Australians have stuck to Marcus Stoinis as their go-to all-rounder in limited overs cricket. As a middle-order batsman with power hitting abilities and also with the death bowling skill he has lived up to his team's expectation to a certain extent for the past few years.

He has a healthy batting avg of 42.47 at a strike rate of 96 and also has a decent economy of 6.06 with the ball in ODI cricket which makes him a significant player. In T20I his strike rate with the bat is 126.33. In recently concluded BBL, Stoinis had a great all-around show as he scored 533 runs at an avg of 53.3 and took 14 wickets at a strike rate of 11.57 and guided his franchise Melbourne Stars to the finals.

His experience of playing IPL in India and his current form will certainly give some headache to the Indian side.