India outplayed England in the Test series and followed it up by winning the ODI series 2-1. England have had a tough tour of India so far and now they would be hoping to finish it off on a good note by winning the T20I series.
India would go into the series as firm favourites but considering England’s batting-depth, we might get to see a better performance from England in the shortest format of the game. Team India will be up for it as it will be Virat Kohli’s first T20I series as India’s limited-overs captain.
The team for 3 T20Is against England was announced along with the ODI squad and there were a couple of interesting selections. India’s T20I side is a good mix of youth and experience. On one hand, selectors have shown faith in young players like Rishabh Pant, Mandeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal and others, and on the other, they have also included seasoned campaigners like Suresh Raina and Ashish Nehra.
The Cricket Lounge’s Vaibhav Sharma takes a look at how India line-up going into the series.
Openers
KL Rahul failed in all three matches in the ODI series but still he would find a place in the playing XI in the T20Is. Rahul is a very exciting young talent and selectors are ready to invest in him. It is likely that Punjab’s Mandeep Singh will be KL Rahul’s opening partner in the T20I series against England.
Middle order
India’s skipper Virat Kohli will bat at 3, followed by Yuvraj Singh at 4, Suresh Raina at 5 and MS Dhoni at 6. MS Dhoni will also keep wickets.
All-rounders
Hardik Pandya was one of the biggest positives for India in the ODI series. He gave good performances with both bat and ball.
Spinners
Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja have been rested for the T20I series and Amit Mishra and Parvez Rasool have been named as their replacements. However, Amit Mishra and Yuzvendra Chahal are more likely to feature in the playing XI.
Fast bowlers
Ashish Nehra has been called for the T20Is after being out of action for nearly 8 months due to a hamstring injury he sustained while playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad during the 2016 IPL. It is likely that Ashish Nehra and Jasprit Bumrah will be India’s t20 fast bowlers, with Hardik Pandya playing as a fast-bowling all-rounder.
India’s likely XI to face England: KL Rahul, Mandeep Singh, Virat Kohli (c), Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni (wk), Suresh Raina, Hardik Pandya, Amit Mishra, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Ashish Nehra
India’s squad for 3 T20Is: Virat Kohli (Capt), MS Dhoni (wk), Mandeep Singh, KL Rahul, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Parvez Rasool, Amit Mishra, Yuzvendra Chahal, Manish Pandey, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ashish Nehra
