WI v IND 2019: India's predicted playing XI for the first T20I against West Indies

The Indian team selectors have announced the squad for the upcoming 3-match T20I series against the defending World T20 champions West Indies. Shreyas Iyer and Manish Pandey returned to the T20I squad while Navdeep Saini got his first limited-overs call-up. Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya have been rested from the T20I and ODI series.

India’s squad for 3 T20Is: Virat Kohli (Captain), Rohit Sharma (VC), Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Rishabh Pant (WK), Krunal Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Rahul Chahar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, Deepak Chahar, Navdeep Saini

The series begins from 3rd August with matches scheduled in Florida and Guyana. West Indies may be ranked 9th in the world rankings but they are the most dangerous team in T20Is. They have some of the most powerful hitters in the game in the form of Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Carlos Brathwaite, and Evin Lewis.

India would be looking to zero in on the players that would form the nucleus of India’s squad for the next year’s T20 World Cup in Australia. Let us have a look at the probable playing XI for the first T2OI against West Indies.

#1 Top order (Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli)

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma

After a splendid year with the bat, Rohit is expected to lead India’s lines in the T20Is as well. Rohit was the leading run-getter in the recently-concluded World Cup and is one of the few Indian batsmen who can clear the fence with ease.

Shikhar Dhawan was unfortunate to miss out on a major chunk of the World Cup due to an injury to his thumb. Dhawan has been declared fit and is likely to resume opening duties with Rohit. The southpaw is pretty good at making the full use of powerplays and also provides a right hand-left hand batting combination at the start.

Virat Kohli will return as captain of the Indian T20I team after being rested for the T20Is in New Zealand. Kohli has the ability to bat through the innings, and along with Rohit and Shikhar, is the fulcrum of India’s batting. Kohli will be looking to put aside the disappointment of the World Cup with an impressive display against the reigning T20I champions.

#2 Middle-order (Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant and Krunal Pandya)

Rishabh Pant

Shreyas Iyer will be delighted to be back in the Indian team for this forthcoming tour. Iyer is the ideal middle-order batsman that India has been looking for and he has the ability to rotate the strike, whilst smashing big shots against the spinners as well. Add to that that he is electric on the field and you've got quite a player in your ranks.

The selectors have given Rishabh Pant their full backing by including him in all the three squads for the West Indies tour. Pant is a big-hitter of the ball and can help India make full use of the last 10 overs. He has the power as well as the finesse to accelerate the innings and can also play the cheeky ramp shots to good effect.

Krunal Pandya is the ideal 3-dimensional T20 player India has been looking for. Pandya is explosive with the bat and can provide you with 3-4 tight overs whilst having the knack of picking up big wickets. Like his younger brother Hardik, Krunal is also a gem of a fielder.

#3 All-Rounders (Ravindra Jadeja, Sundar, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar)

Ravindra Jadeja

Ravindra Jadeja is a cricketer reborn. His heroics in the semis against the Kiwis left everyone awestruck. Jadeja has improved his batting immensely and has added power to it. His fielding has always been exceptional, although his bowling might not be that handy in T20s. But, he is still a decent option with the ball.

Washington Sundar is a street-smart cricketer. After bursting on to the cricket scene with all-round performances in the TNPL, Sundar lost his way a little in international cricket. He has been given another chance by the selectors. Sundar can bowl in the powerplay as well and has many variations up his sleeves and is also a handy lower-order batsman.

Along with Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar is India’s best bet in the death overs. Bhuvneshwar can bowl the toe crushing yorkers at will, and has also added the knuckleball to his repertoire which often leaves the batsmen bamboozled.

#4 Bowlers (Navdeep Saini and Khaleel Ahmed)

Khaleel Ahmed

Navdeep Saini was RCB’s go-to man in the IPL. Saini regularly clocked in excess of 145 and was difficult to get away in the death overs. Virat has shown great trust in his abilities and now he also has the backing of India’s selectors.

The fact that he has been picked in both the T20I and the ODI squads would certainly boost his confidence. He has been very impressive for the India ‘A’ side as well, for whom he has delivered many match-winning performances.

Khaleel Ahmed was a bit unlucky to miss out from India’s World Cup squad. But, the Hyderabad lad got his head down and bowled beautifully for the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL. Khaleel is a wicket-taking bowler. He may go for runs sometimes but more often than not he will get you wickets. If he can develop the inswinging delivery to the right-handed batsman, he can cause some serious trouble.