India's predicted playing XI for the 1st T20I vs West Indies
Team India will turn their attention to the shortest format when they face off against West Indies in the first T20I of the five-match series on Thursday, August 3 in Trinidad.
Hardik Pandya will once again lead the side in the series, with Suryakumar Yadav serving as his deputy. India remain without big names like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, while Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul are also missing from action.
Nevertheless, the Men in Blue have a talented squad capable of building on their excellent recent head-to-head record against the Windies in T20Is.
India’s T20I squad for the West Indies series: Ishan Kishan (wk), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (vc), Sanju Samson (wk), Hardik Pandya (c), Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar.
Here's India's predicted playing XI for the first T20I against West Indies.
Openers: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill
India have some decisions to make when it comes to the opening combination.
Ishan Kishan hammered three fifties in the ODI series to stake his claim for a spot at the top. However, can he warrant being picked ahead of Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal?
Gill's last T20I innings was a marauding 126* against New Zealand, while Jaiswal was the standout Indian batter in the 2023 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Kishan, meanwhile, is without a fifty in his last 14 T20I innings and has crossed the 30-run mark only twice during that timeframe. His form indicates that the management will look to keep him in the mix, but there might not be a vacant spot at the top of the order.
Middle Order: Ishan Kishan (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson
It would be great if India decide to hand the talented Tilak Varma a debut, since Kishan doesn't inspire much confidence in the middle order. However, with the Jharkhand wicket-keeper impressing of late, he could be tasked with batting at No. 3 and giving some powerplay impetus if an early wicket falls.
Tilak is an excellent player of both pace and spin, and is undoubtedly well-suited to a middle-order role. Is there place for him in the side as of now, though? The incumbent players arguably deserve a chance to come good at the start of the series, and the 20-year-old could have to bide his time in the Caribbean.
Sanju Samson isn't certain to be part of the playing XI either, but after his belligerent knock in the final ODI, he should make the grade. The dynamic batter will look to play high-impact innings, even if he has to bat slightly lower than he'd prefer to.
Suryakumar Yadav's T20I returns have never been affected by his lack of returns in other formats. The superstar batter will once again be the man to watch out for in the Indian middle order.
All-rounders: Hardik Pandya (c), Axar Patel
There's no doubt regarding these two spots. Captain Hardik Pandya and all-rounder Axar Patel will feature in the playing XI, with the duo being the only two players who can contribute with both bat and ball on a regular basis.
Bowlers: Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Mukesh Kumar
India have three wrist-spinners to choose from.
Kuldeep Yadav shined in the ODI series and presumably did enough to retain his place in the side for the T20I format as well. If the Men in Blue want to rest the wrist-spinner, they could field Yuzvendra Chahal instead.
Ravi Bishnoi, meanwhile, has excellent numbers against a few of the West Indian batters and has also been impressive in his short international career so far. He could add a different dimension to the bowling attack and help India field two specialist spinners in tandem, with the Tarouba wicket aiding the slower bowlers.
Hardik and Co. could decide to play two specialist fast bowlers in order to accommodate two frontline wrist-spinners. If they do, they will need names who can bowl at all stages of the innings.
Arshdeep Singh is a lock, having become the leader of the pace attack in Jasprit Bumrah's absence. The second spot will be a toss-up between Umran Malik, Mukesh Kumar and Avesh Khan.
Umran was dropped from the side for the third ODI, reducing his chances of featuring in the opening T20I. While Avesh is a more reliable all-phase bowler, Mukesh produced a three-wicket burst with the new ball in the final ODI.
This could go either way, but India might be inclined to complete the holy debut trinity by handing the Bengal fast bowler a maiden cap in T20Is as well.
Overall, India have several combinations to play around with, and it's almost impossible to tell which route they will take. Only time will tell.