Team India decided to name a batting XI as well as a bowling XI for their warm-up game against Australia on Monday (October 17) ahead of the T20 World Cup. However, on their team sheet, they have named Mohammed Shami, Rishabh Pant, Yuzvendra Chahal and Deepak Hooda on the bench.
This has sparked intrigue among fans, who have begun speculating what the Men in Blue's exact playing XI against Pakistan could be on October 23. Skipper Rohit Sharma has already revealed that he has informed the squad about who will be in the team's line-up for the match against the Men in Green.
Many feel that India naming Ravichandran Ashwin ahead of Chahal could be an indication that the veteran off-spinner may play against Pakistan. Some fans were also baffled by Shami's absence from the XI and trolled the likes of Chahal and Rishabh Pant for being benched.
One fan tweeted an image of Pant wearing the substitute bib and tweeted:
"Plzz give me 100 more chances plzzz"
Here are some more reactions:
Team India off to a fantastic start against Australia
KL Rahul was in his element and came out all guns blazing in his side's warm-up game against Australia. The opener played some delightful cover drives and once he was set, began to take the hosts' bowling apart.
After an innings against Western Australia that was questioned by many for his slow start, Rahul proved that he can be ultra aggressive against the Aussies. He was eventually dismissed for 57 off just 33 balls after striking six boundaries and three sixers.
Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav have also looked in fine form. While the former was dismissed for 19, Yadav was unbeaten on 32 at the end of the 16th over, with India at 147/4.
He was alongside Dinesh Karthik (12 not out). It will be interesting to see how Karthik fares on the big grounds in Australia as he will be a crucial component for the Men in Blue at the death.
Lineups
Australia XI: Aaron Finch (c), Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Tim David, Matthew Wade (wk), Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Kane Richardson
India: Rohit Sharma (c), KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wk), Dinesh Karthik (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravichandran Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, Axar Patel, Mohammad Shami, Harshal Patel
Looking for fast live cricket scores? Download CricRocket and get fast score updates, top-notch commentary in-depth match stats & much more! 🚀☄️