India's predicted playing XI for the 1st T20I vs Sri Lanka
Team India will play their first international game of the new calendar year when they take on Sri Lanka in the first T20I on Tuesday, January 3 in Mumbai.
Hardik Pandya will captain the Men in Blue for the assignment, with big names like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli missing out. Also absent are Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja as they continue to recover from injuries.
India's squad for the Sri Lanka T20Is: Hardik Pandya (captain), Ishan Kishan (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (vice-captain), Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Sanju Samson, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Harshal Patel, Umran Malik, Shivam Mavi, Mukesh Kumar
Here is India's predicted playing XI for the first T20I against Sri Lanka.
Openers: Ishan Kishan (wk), Shubman Gill
Ishan Kishan, fresh off a blistering ODI double century, is all set to be one of India's two openers. His partner, though, is yet to be ascertained. Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill and Rahul Tripathi are the three main contenders right now.
Gaikwad has been around the T20I side for longer, but his average in the format stands at a poor 16.9. Tripathi, meanwhile, has been in and around the team for a few series but hasn't made his debut yet. Neither has Gill, who is a relatively new addition to India's T20I scheme of things.
Despite that, though, Gill appears to be the frontrunner. He had a breakthrough year in 2022 and a productive Indian Premier League campaign under Hardik Pandya's leadership at the Gujarat Titans. While this one could go in any direction, it wouldn't be surprising to see Gill being given the nod.
Middle Order: Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Sanju Samson
India's middle order should be fairly straightforward to select. The No. 1 T20I batter in the world, Suryakumar Yadav, will look to make his mark on 2023. Deepak Hooda will welcome a return to the top four after being shunted down the order towards the end of 2022, while Sanju Samson will look to continue his good white-ball form for the Men in Blue.
All-rounders: Hardik Pandya (c), Washington Sundar
Captain Hardik Pandya will slot in at either No. 5 or No. 6 and will also be required to contribute with the ball. Talked about as India's next full-time T20I skipper, the all-rounder will want to make a mark with his leadership.
Axar Patel has played most of India's T20I assignments over the last year, but Washington Sundar seems to have leapfrogged him in the pecking order. With the surface at the Wankhede Stadium likely to assist pace and bounce, the team management might want to go in with three frontline pacers, as a result of which Axar could miss out.
Washington has become an integral cog in India's limited-overs wheel of late and will want to dish out consistent performances in both departments.
Bowlers: Harshal Patel, Umran Malik, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh
As the only pacer in the squad who offers something with the bat, barring the uncapped Shivam Mavi to a certain extent, Harshal Patel will slot in at No. 8. The experienced fast bowler was expensive in 2022 and needs to get his act together at the death.
In the absence of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh will be India's primary weapon in the powerplay. The left-armer has almost become the leader of the side's pace attack in T20Is, with Jasprit Bumrah spending some time on the sidelines.
Umran Malik will provide the express pace variety to India's pace battery, while Yuzvendra Chahal should retain his place in the side because the Men in Blue will want a wrist-spinner.
Shivam Mavi and Mukesh Kumar might have to wait for their chances.