T20 World Cup 2022: Three changes India could make for their match against the Netherlands
Team India kicked off their T20 World Cup 2022 campaign with a memorable win against arch-rivals Pakistan on October 23.
After a thrilling win at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, they will now face the Netherlands in Sydney on Thursday, October 27. This is the first time these two sides will be going head-to-head in a T20I contest.
There has been chatter around India resting a few of their players ahead of this clash, keeping an eye out for any niggles players might be going through. With games against South Africa and Bangladesh to come, the team could look to keep themselves fresh.
nd game of the #T20WorldCup! 
It's Match-Day! 👌 👌
#TeamIndia all set to take on Netherlands in their 2⃣nd game of the #T20WorldCup! 👍 👍
#INDvNED https://t.co/w9QlLbFGE9
On that note, let's take a look at three changes the Indian team could make for this clash:
#1 IN - Rishabh Pant | OUT - Hardik Pandya
Amazing atmosphere, nail biting finish and a fantastic win. Onto the next one. 🇮🇳💯 https://t.co/Wua8ntdTrZ
On the eve of the key clash against Pakistan, Hardik Pandya had a heavy strapping on his right knee. The all-rounder was even spotted limping while batting but shrugged off any suggestions of injury when he stated it was just a case of cramps.
However, the Gujarat Titans captain missed the optional training sessions at the Sydney Cricket Ground ahead of the clash against the Netherlands. Rishabh Pant, meanwhile, was sweating it out in the nets and is expected to slot in as a replacement if Pandya does miss out.
That will mean India will play the extra batter and will not have the luxury of playing with a sixth bowling option. They will hope that isn't too big a gamble against the Netherlands, who lost their first match against Bangladesh.
#2 IN - Yuzvendra Chahal | OUT - Ravichandran Ashwin
A key reason for Ravichandran Ashwin's inclusion in the playing XI against Pakistan was the presence of left-handers in the opponents' middle order. Against the Dutch, who are predominantly a right-handed batting unit, India might look to bring leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal back into the fore.
Axar Patel could be the other one to miss out after enduring an outing to forget with bat and ball against Pakistan. However, that move will see the Men in Blue sacrifice a bit on their batting depth.
Against a Dutch side that has a left-arm spinner and leg spinner in Tim Pringle and Shariz Ahmed, India could benefit from having two left-handed batters in their side. Consequently, even if Pant doesn't make it into the XI, they could keep Axar in their line-up.
#3 IN - Harshal Patel | OUT - One of the pacers
None of Mohammad Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Arshdeep Singh took part in the optional training session on the eve of the game against the Netherlands. With one eye on their crunch game against South Africa in Perth, the team management will want to ensure that their bowlers are fit and firing.
Shami could be the one to miss this game in that case, having played just one T20I since last year. The same could be said for Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who missed India's home series against the Proteas to undergo programming at the National Cricket Academy (NCA).
Harshal Patel is the obvious candidate to fill in if the team management does decide to make a change. The pacer has endured a few below-par outings of late, but is still a talented option to have in the middle and death overs.
Most sides might not want to tinker with a winning combination, but in a long tournament, that's always something to keep an eye on. India might be looking at this fixture as an opportunity to give their players some rest and introduce fresh minds.
However, they will also be vary of underestimating the Netherlands, having already seen some big teams suffer upset defeats in this year's T20 World Cup.