India vs England: India's Predicted XI For the First T20I

Middle-order: KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, and Suresh Raina

KL Rahul has shown that he is a special player and way too good to not be playing all three formats of the game for India. With the opening slots being occupied by Sharma and Dhawan, India may decide to do what their opponents England have done with their three openers and play Rahul in the middle order. Having had a very productive season playing in the middle order for RCB in 2016, Rahul certainly is versatile enough to do so.

Virat Kohli picks himself in the team; however, what position he bats at will be interesting to see. With T20 cricket being as dynamic as it is, it is possible that these three batsmen will rotate their positions on the basis of the situation.

The last player in the middle-order, Suresh Raina, should also be in the side given his form in the second T20 against Ireland. He looks as if he is back at his best, hitting balls to the boundary with ease. He also has the ability to provide the Indian innings with the impetus that it has so often lacked in the middle overs in recent times. Further, he is a 3-in-1 cricketer, as he is a livewire in the field, and can provide his captain with some overs of handy off-spin as well, a skill which will be integral in an Indian side playing only five bowlers.