India's Predicted Squad For The T20I Series Against South Africa And New Zealand

The Board of Cricket Control In India is looking to chip in with two bilateral T20 series at home against South Africa and New Zealand before the T20 World Cup starts. This comes as a result that India doesn’t play any T20s after the England series which might not be the ideal practice needed for the T20 Worldcup that is going to be held in India in the month of October.

The IPL starts immediately after the limited-overs series against England and India is scheduled to play the World Test championship finals at England in the month of June. It is followed by a five-match test series against England which gets over by September and that will be the time the BCCI needs to squeeze in two bilateral series. Let us look at India’s predicted squad for the T20I series against South Africa and New Zealand.

India’s Predicted Squad For The T20I Series Against South Africa And New Zealand:

Virat Kohli (C):

Virat Kohli will have to get his team combinations and his decisions on the field right before the T20 WorldCup starts and the series against South Africa and New Zealand will be the best time for him to settle the bowling and batting order for the WorldCup rather than changing it often.

Rohit Sharma (VC):

Rohit Sharma will be the first name after the captain on the team sheet and he will surely be part of the squad at the top of the order which looks unsettled. He is the front runner for the opening slot with amazing numbers in the T20 internationals and will be captaining the side if Kohli gets rested for one or two games.

KL Rahul:

Despite his low scores in the first three games of the T20 series against England, he is still the number one T20 player for India in the last two years and has some phenomenal numbers to back him. He is the best candidate to open the innings alongside Rohit Sharma in the T20 WorldCup and will be itching to get some starts.

Shikhar Dhawan:

Shikhar Dhawan is most likely to be the backup opener for the T20 WorldCup and he might have to be patient until he gets his chance. He will play the IPL for Delhi Capitals and a good season again might keep him in the scheme of things for the series against New Zealand and South Africa.

Ishan Kishan:

Ishan Kishan’s versatility with the bat has opened up many options for the captain as he can open the innings as well as bat in the number four position which he has done with the Mumbai Indians on a large note. His debut innings against England impressed everyone a lot and he will surely be part of the squad as the backup keeper for the next T20 series.

Shreyas Iyer:

Shreyas Iyer showed a lot of composure in the first T20 when India lost three early wickets early and has played some crucial knocks off late. He had a good IPL season for the Delhi Capitals and he is likely to retain his place for the T20 WorldCup as he is one of the best players of spin in the lineup.

Rishabh Pant:

Rishabh Pant will the first-choice keeper in the team as well as he provides a left-handed option in the middle. He has improved his wicket-keeping skills a lot and he can be sent up the order to quicken the scoring rate too. He can be the X Factor in the team and his recent form makes him a certainty for the next T20 series.

Suryakumar Yadav:

Suryakumar Yadav should be given the nod for the next T20 series and it will very harsh on him if he is left out of the next series. He did make his debut in the second T20 against England but did not get his chance to bat and was left out of the playing XI for the third T20 to accommodate Rohit Sharma at the top of the order.

Hardik Pandya:

Hardik Pandya will play a huge part in the World T20 for India as an all-rounder and India will be happy that he bowled four overs in the last two games. He did a good job with the ball and looks to be promising for India at the number six slot for the WorldCup 2021 with his finishing abilities.

Ravindra Jadeja:

Ravindra Jadeja’s entry might close the doors for recent sensation Axar Patel as both can offer the left-handed batting and bowling option. Jadeja offers much more with the bat at seven and provides the balance to the team coming at seven and Pandya can bat at six. Once he is fit, Jadeja will come into the squad.

Rahul Tewatia:

Rahul Tewatia will be the backup all-rounder on the sidelines and his ability with the bat will be very handy at seven if he gets picked in the XI. He can strike the long balls and can be the much-needed finisher along with Pandya. He can bowl four economical overs and the IPL 2021 will be crucial to his place in the upcoming T20 series.

Washington Sundar:

Washington Sundar has been exceptional with the bat in the recent test series against England and he has been the standout bowler for India in the three T20 games. Even if he is not picking up wickets regularly, he has bowled economical overs which puts him as a certainty for the T20 World Cup.

Yuzvendra Chahal:

Yuzvendra Chahal hasn’t been in the best of forms in the recent T20 series against England and the worrying factor has been that he has leaked a lot of runs. However, his overall record in T20s for India has been exceptional and he will be the number one choice as a spinner for the T20 World Cup.

Shardul Thakur:

Shardul Thakur is expected to play the role of a Hardik Pandya in the side if he gets his chance and his ability to bat down the order might work in his favour. The other Indian quicks do not look like they can contribute with the bat except Bhvuvneshwar Kumar and hence will be in the squad as a back up for Pandya.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar:

Bhuvneshwar Kumar has come back into the Indian team after a long injury gap and he hasn’t yet found his groove in the series against England. However he will play a crucial role in the T20 World Cup with the new ball as well as in death overs, and he should be retained in the squad for the next T20 series.

T Natarajan:

T Natarajan’s ability to hit the yorkers time and time will be a much-needed value for India in the bowling lineup and India might be tempted to include him in the playing XI alongside Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar for the T20 world cup instead of a spinner like Yuzvendra Chahal given that he is fit to play.

Jasprit Bumrah:

Bumrah will be the spearhead of the Indian pace attack at the front as well as in the backend of the innings. He can change a fortune of a match on its head suddenly and has been the team’s best bowler in all the formats in recent years. He will need the T20 match practice and will be the first choice for the series against South Africa and New Zealand.

Mohammad Shami:

Mohammad Shami is expected to be the backup fast bowler for the Indian team during the T20 World Cup and also he might get the nod if any bowler isn’t in good form. Shami was brilliant in the test series against Australia as well as in the IPL and he can hit the yorkers as well. He will have to prove his worth in the upcoming IPL which he is expected to do and gain a place in the T20 series against New Zealand and South Africa.