1st T20: Predicted Indian 11 vs Sri Lanka

The home season of the Indian cricket team will start with a series against Sri Lanka.

As part of this, Mumbai’s iconic Wankhede Stadium will be hosting the 1st T20I of the series tomorrow.

This will be the first T20I match at Wankhede after more than 3 years.

The senior players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are rested from the T20Is.

Hardik Pandya will again lead the side, whereas Suryakumar Yadav will be his deputy.

Many experts are seeing this as the start of a transition phase for the Indian T20I side, keeping in mind the 2024 T20 World Cup.

No wonder, the Hardik-led side’s performance will be closely watched.

The Likely Indian Playing 11

Ishan Kishan – The left-hand opener grabbed the world’s attention when he joined an elite list of batters to score a double ton in ODIs as he scored 210 against Bangladesh last month. He will be expected to carry forward his form.

Shubman Gill may get the nod over Ruturaj Gaikwad in the first T20I match.

Gaikwad had a brilliant domestic season, but just the fact that Gill is with the team constantly, he may get his chance first.

Suryakumar Yadav – He is the best T20 batter in the world, based on statistics. With his range of shots, he can demolish any bowling attack. He is also the vice-captain of Team India.

Sanju Samson –The talented batter has never got a consistent run in the Indian team. This time he might have to fight for a spot in the middle-order with Rahul Tripathi, another power-packed T20 performer. Sanju Samson has done enough to seal a spot as well in the middle order.

Washington Sundar may edge Axar Patel for the all-rounder’s role.

Axar was below-average in the T20 World Cup, whereas Sundar has always bowled great in the powerplay.

Sundar is an excellent batter as well, and he was used at the number 4 position as well in the recent ODIs against Bangladesh.

Hardik Pandya –The all-rounder is the future of Indian cricket and has matured as a captain in the last couple of years. He is also a proven performer with bat and ball.

Deepak Hooda –Another high impact player, Hooda has performed well in the limited chances he has got. His spin bowling is handy too.

Yuzvendra Chahal – The wicket-taking leg-spinner provides much-needed experience and knowledge of local conditions, apart from his wicket-taking abilities.

Arshdeep Singh – The left-arm pacer is one of the candidates for ICC Emerging Player of the year. He bowled with great composure under pressure in the T20 World Cup and has potential to be the bowling spearhead of the T20I team.

Umran Malik – There is nothing like genuine pace and the youngster is just what the doctor ordered. By adding a few variations to his bowling, Umran can be a lethal weapon for India in the future.