The BCCI announced a 25-man squad for India’s white-ball tour to Sri Lanka in July. All the matches will be played at the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, Colombo. Shikhar Dhawan has been given the captaincy duties, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar will be the vice-captain. Whether they make wholesale changes to Team India’s playing XI for the T20I series will be interesting to see.
The squad consists of a large number of youngsters, and with just 11 to be selected on a particular day for a game, the team management will have a tough time trying to figure out the best playing XI. They can make the decision based on the recently concluded ODI series, however.
India came out on top in the series quite comfortably. While Prithvi Shaw thrived at the top with the willow, Deepak Chahar and Yuzvendra Chahal were amongst the wickets. Although India played two spinners in the ODI matches, they’re unlikely to do so in the T20I’s.
India’s predicted playing XI for the first T20I:
Shikhar Dhawan
Shikhar has been entrusted with the responsibility of being the captain. He will be opening the batting for the Indian side. Dhawan’s recent performances, especially in the IPL, is a huge shot in the arm for the team. He was leading the race for the orange cap, with 380 runs in just 8 innings.
The man is known for his crucial knocks in big games and with the added onus of captaining an inexperienced side, Dhawan will be looking forward to bringing his A-game.
Prithvi Shaw
Prithvi Shaw looks set to make his international T20 debut for India. Shaw had a splendid domestic season. He scored 800+ runs in the Vijay Hazare trophy, which included a fabulous knock of 227* against Puducherry.
Along with Shikhar Dhawan, Shaw set the IPL ablaze with his aggressive batting at the top of the order. He amassed 308 runs in 8 innings and will be the ideal left-right combination alongside Dhawan.
Suryakumar Yadav
The Mumbaikar had an amazing debut T20 series against England in the month of March. Suryakumar hit the first ball that he faced in international cricket for a six, becoming the first Indian to do so in a T20 International. He even went to get a half-century on debut.
Virat Kohli praised the batsman, calling him the ‘X-Factor’ in the team. With Surya’s presence in the middle overs, India can set up for the push they usually go for in the death overs. He will very much start in the playing XI for India in the T20I’s.
Sanju Samson
Although Sanju Samson had a mediocre start to his international career, his expectations of him are palpably high. The Kerala-born cricketer made his debut for India in 2015 but has only managed to break into the playing XI a mere 7 times.
His tally of 83 runs includes a high score of 23, at an average of 11.86. In the 2021 IPL however, Samson showed glimpses of what he’s capable of, with a blistering 119 against Punjab, albeit in a losing cause. He’ll be looking forward to changing his fortunes around in the international circuit.
Manish Pandey
Manish Pandey is set to come back to the T20 side after being snubbed for the England series. He has been a lucky charm for India. His inclusion in T20I’s since 2018 has resulted in a win for India every single time.
With age not on his side, he’ll be looking to get some decent knocks in and provide the much-needed experience in the middle order.
Hardik Pandya
The Baroda all-rounder has a lot of responsibility on his shoulders. His place in the side is often under scrutiny owing to his inability to offer service in the bowling department. Hardik will be looking to go out ‘all guns blazing’ with a point to prove in the white-ball series.
His ability to hit sixes at ease in the lower order will provide impetus to the innings. He can also play the role of a finisher, as witnessed down under against Australia.
Krunal Pandya
The other Pandya all-rounder, Krunal, recently made his debut in the ODI format for India against England. Although his bowling came under the pump a few times, a fifty on debut cemented his place in the side for the time being.
In the IPL, his left-arm off-spin has proven to be troublesome for batsmen at times, and he’ll be looking forward to displaying his skills in the matches against Sri Lanka.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar
The Uttar Pradesh pacer made an excellent comeback for the national side in the white-ball series against England. He will lead the pace battery in the T20I’s against Sri Lanka. Although he is out of favor for a place in the Test side, he remains pivotal for India in the shorter formats.
Bhuvneshwar has also been appointed as the vice-captain and will be one of the most experienced players in the squad.
Yuzvendra Chahal
Chahal, who plays for RCB in the IPL, hasn’t really had the best couple of seasons in the last two years. With his spin twin Kuldeep Yadav not finding a place in the side, Chahal seems to have lost a bit of magic. However, he will be India’s most experienced spinner in the side and will most likely find a place in the first T20I.
With Rahul Chahar and Varun Chakravarthy breathing down his neck for a place in the Team India’s playing XI for T20I’s, Chahal will need to up his game in the series against Sri Lanka.
Deepak Chahar
Deepak Chahar has been MS Dhoni’s go-to bowler for CSK in the powerplay. His combination along with Bhuvneshwar at the start of the innings will be a treat to savor for the swing enthusiasts in the cricketing fraternity.
Deepak has the best bowling figures for India in a T20I, with figures of 6/7 against Bangladesh in Nagpur. He’ll be looking forward to providing those early breakthroughs as he does in the IPL.
Chetan Sakariya
Chetan Sakariya has been one of the finds of the 2021 IPL season. In 7 games in the IPL, the 23-year-old has picked up 7 wickets, at a decent economy rate of 8.22. His left-arm medium-fast bowling will provide some variety to the Indian bowling attack.
Sakariya is likely to be handed his debut cap for the national side and with the experience of Bhuvneshwar by his side, he has the chance to excel and secure his place in the Indian team.