India vs West Indies T20Is in USA: India Predicted XI
After a BCCI working committee meeting early in August, the board announced that India will be playing two T20Is against West Indies in Florida on the 27th and 28th August. This announcement immediately sparked the imagination of cricket fans around the world as the two T20 heavyweights were set to face off in unchartered territory for the first time.
The USA is emerging as a new market for cricket and that can only be good news for the game. After the Caribbean Premier League held a league of matches there recently, the Central Broward Regional Park is now set for more action.
What added to the excitement was the fact that both India and West Indies named star studded line-ups for the historic series. MS Dhoni and Jasprit Bumrah will join the Indian side, while the likes of Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo and Andre Russell are back for the Windies.
India’s 14-man squad for the two T20Is certainly caught the eye. Suresh Raina, From the World T20 squad earlier this year, Yuvraj Singh, Hardik Pandya, Pawan Negi, Harbhajan Singh, Ashish Nehra and Manish Pandey are notable absentees, while KL Rahul, Amit Mishra and Staurt Binny make the cut.
The last time these two sides faced each other in the shortest format of the game, the Windies shattered India’s hopes in the semi-finals at the Wankhede by chasing down a mammoth total of 192.
Will India gain revenge? Or will the Windies assert their dominance?
Here, we try to predict the playing XI for the Indians as they embark on their latest journey:
1) Shikhar Dhawan – Gabbar Ji
India’s man at the top for all seasons Shikhar Dhawan will lead the line at the top of the batting order. Controversy comes and controversy goes, but Shikhar Dhawan rolls on. While many people have asked for him to be axed from the team in the 3 formats, Dhawan always has the knack of playing a good knock at the right time. He should find himself absolutely at home in the two T20s against Windies and will be expected to do well.
He generally takes a little time to get going in T20s, but is generally unstoppable once he gets his eye in.