5 players who should be included in India's T20I squad to face Australia

After winning the ODI series against Australia, India will look to extend their winning run in the T20Is as well. The three-match series will take place in Ranchi, Guwahati, and Hyderabad respectively.

While the Test and ODI sides have been performing exceptionally, India's T20I side has not produced the desired results over the past couple of years.

There have been a few players who have lost their touch in this format and have not been up to the mark. There is a need for the Men in Blue to change things up in order to get back to winning ways.

Here is a list of five cricketers who should be included in India's T20I squad against Australia.

#5 Rishabh Pant

The soon to turn 20 year old from Delhi has been looking to make a mark on the big stage for quite some time now. Ever since the U-19 World Cup in 2016, he has produced some exemplary performances in various tournaments.

He even made his debut for the Men in Blue earlier this year against England but hardly got a chance to shine.

He was outstanding in the Indian Premier League this season and was included in the squad for the ODIs against West Indies. Unfortunately, he didn't play a single game.

If chosen for the T20Is against Australia, he will look to make the most of the opportunity and send a stern message to the selectors.

With MS Dhoni not near his best in T20Is, Pant could be the ideal replacement.

#4 Krunal Pandya

With Hardik Pandya performing superbly well in all three formats of the game, his older brother Krunal will be itching to join him in the Indian cricket team.

Just like Hardik, Krunal too has made his mark due to his performances in the IPL over the past couple of years. He has produced match-winning performances for the Mumbai Indians and has played better than Hardik on a number of occasions as well.

He played a huge role in Mumbai's road to their third IPL trophy this season. His consistent performances were noticed by the selectors as he was awarded a place in India A's squad which travelled to South Africa recently.

#3 Ashish Nehra

The 38-year-old veteran found a new lease of life after he made a comeback to India's T20I squad in 2016. He has been one of the best bowlers in the shortest format of the game and has produced some exceptional bowling spells for the Men in Blue.

He was a part of India's T20I squad in the 2016 World T20 as well and bowled extremely well throughout the tournament.

He was an integral part of the Sunrisers Hyderabad squad in 2016 and 2017 and was one of their go-to bowlers. Unfortunately, he injured himself towards the end of the tournament this year and has not played ever since.

Having recovered from the injury, he will be itching to make a comeback to the T20I squad.

#2 Basil Thampi

This 24 year old from Kerala made a mark for himself in the Inter-Zonal T20 tournament earlier this year with some exemplary bowling. He was bagged by the Gujarat Lions in the IPL auction this year and was an integral part of their squad.

He picked up only eleven wickets in twelve matches at an economy rate over 9 but was way better than what the numbers suggest. He ended up with the Emerging Player of the Season award.

He was picked in India A's squad which travelled to South Africa and was praised for his bowling performances throughout the tournament.

India might already have an exceptional fast bowling unit, but Thampi could be the perfect investment for the Men in Blue.

#1 Suresh Raina

Things have not been going Suresh Raina's way over the past couple of years. While he was a part of India's T20I squad earlier this year, he has not been a part of the ODI squad since 2015.

He was not included in India's squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 and to add salt to the wound, he was left out of India's ODI squad to face West Indies, Sri Lanka, and Australia. He also failed the fitness test which was held at the NCA in Bengaluru.

Most recently, he was the captain of India Blue in the Duleep Trophy and was looking quite fit. He will be looking to make a comeback to the T20I squad once again and show the world what he is made of.