India's Strongest Playing XI For The T20I Series Against Sri Lanka

India will carry a second-string squad to Sri Lanka for six white-ball matches – 3 ODIs (on July 13, 16, 18), and 3 T20Is (July 21, 23, 25) – as several first-choice players are on the tour of England.

Senior batsman Shikhar Dhawan will captain the side, and pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been named as his deputy. Former captain Rahul Dravid will fill in for Ravi Shastri as the head coach for the tour. A number of youngsters have been given their maiden India call-ups to the national squad, while a few players are been recalled as well.

Here we look at what could be India’s best XI for the T20Is against Sri Lanka:

Shikhar Dhawan (C)

Shikhar Dhawan will lead India for the first time in his career. The left-hander has been in brilliant form the last couple of IPL seasons. In the IPL 2020, in the UAE, he aggregated 618 runs at a strike rate of 144.73; in the truncated-IPL 2021, he is the leading run-scorer currently, with 380 runs in 8 innings at a strike rate of 134.27.

While Dhawan was recently dropped from the T20I eleven in the home series against England, his improved strike rate in the IPL is an indication of the marked improvements he has made in his game and approach.

Prithvi Shaw

On the back of his scintillating form, Prithvi Shaw has been recalled to the India set-up. Shaw would be likely to partner with Dhawan and make his T20I debut over the likes of Devdutt Padikkal and Ruturaj Gaikwad.

The Delhi Capitals opener has been in thunderous form in IPL 2021 – he has smashed 308 runs so far at a strike rate of 166.48 with 3 fifties in 8 innings. Prior to the IPL 2021, Shaw had a record-breaking Vijay Hazare Trophy where amassed 827 runs at an unreal average of 165.

Suryakumar Yadav

Suryakumar Yadav was given his T20I debut against England and looked at home, launching his career with a first-ball six off Jofra Archer. In the two innings he batted in, the right-hander registered knocks of 57 off 31 and 32 off 17.

Yadav, who has recorded over 400 runs in the last three IPL season for Mumbai Indians, continued his fine form this year too. It remains to be seen whether he bats at number three, as he did against England, or is given the middle-order role at number 4.

Ishan Kishan (WK)

Ishan Kishan recently sparkled on his T20I debut against England with a blazing knock of 56 runs off 32 balls, and is likely to play ahead of Sanju Samson, with whom he will be competing for the ‘keeper’s position in the eleven.

He was given his India cap after a prolific IPL 2020 with Mumbai Indians, where he piled up 516 runs at a strike rate of 145.76 and helped them to the title. Although the left-hander was recently dropped from the MI side, as he struggled for timing, it was majorly because of the dull and turning tracks in Chennai, where almost every batter struggled.

Hardik Pandya

Though his fitness is a concern, which has rendered him to bowl seldom, Hardik Pandya comes into any white-ball eleven purely as a batsman. One of the rare, elite quality finishers in the country, Hardik was Man of the Series in the T20Is in Australia, wherein 3 games he averaged 39 at a strike rate of 156.00.

He whacks at a strike rate of 157.24 in his overall IPL career – boosted by 2019 (191.43) and 2020 (178.98) seasons, where he and Kieron Pollard often gave Mumbai the late impetus. Hardik’s batting position can change depending on the game situation.

Manish Pandey

Manish Pandey is recalled for the Sri Lanka tour after being dropped for the England series. He played in one game in Australia – scored 2 runs – before getting injured. Before that he played 4 innings in New Zealand – in January-February of last year – and remained not out in all 4, while scoring at 153.45.

Pandey has been part of India’s white-ball set-up for a long time but couldn’t make fix his place in the eleven with sporadic appearances over the years. In the IPL 2021, he was under heavy criticism for batting at a slower rate than he should have which, to an extent, cost Sunrisers Hyderabad a couple of matches.

If not Pandey, Kolkata Knight Riders’ Nitish Rana or Sanju Samson, who was also dropped after the Australia tour, will be vying for a middle-order spot. The upside for handing Nitish Rana his debut would be that he provides a handy option for off-spin, as India are likely to go in with 5 bowlers only.

Krunal Pandya

Krunal Pandya, who recently made a fifty on his ODI debut versus England, will be the proper all-rounder in the eleven. If Hardik is not yet fit bowl, Krunal will be needed to bowl his complete quota of 4 overs.

Over the years, the left-hander has been a contributor with both bat and ball for the Mumbai Indians chipping in with crucial runs lower down the order – he has shown his ability to bat higher as well – and with timely wickets while bowling at a decent economy. He has featured in 18 T20Is for India, the last appearance coming in 2019 at home against Bangladesh.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar(VC)

Bhuvneshwar Kumar is the vice-captain; that would also mean that he is fit for now. Kumar, in the past, has had major bouts with multiple injuries. He made his return, though, in the home series against England featuring in all the games, and picked up 10 wickets combined, at his super laudable economy – 6.39 in 5 T20Is and 4.66 in 3 ODIs.

Although, he didn’t look at his best in the 5 IPL 2021 matches for SRH, a period of rest would recharge the pacer for the Sri Lanka tour.

Deepak Chahar

Deepak Chahar’s presence in the line-up would give Bhuvneshwar Kumar a chance to keep an extra over of himself for the death. Chahar has been in tremendous form in the IPL 2021 for the Chennai Super Kings; he picked up 8 wickets – courtesy of two four-fors – while eviscerating the opposition’s top-order with the new ball in the powerplay.

After featuring in all 3 matches in Australia, he remained on the bench for the England series as Bhuvneshwar returned. Chahar is the holder of the best ever T20I bowling match figures: 6/7, which included a hat-trick, which he achieved against Bangladesh in 2019.

Rahul Chahar

It won’t be entirely erroneous to predict Rahul Chahar to be picked ahead of senior leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal: Chahar replaced Chahal in the England series after the latter’s disappointing returns with the ball; the MI leggie has also snared 11 wickets, often in the match-turning situation, in the IPL 2021, compared with Chahal’s tally of 4 wickets.

Kuldeep Yadav is also part of the squad but is unlikely to be chosen over Chahar and Chahal.

Navdeep Saini

Navdeep Saini could be the other seamer partnering with Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Deepak Chahar. He played in the ODI and Test series in Australia before picking up an injury; he was benched for the T20I series against England and has featured in just a solitary IPL 2021 game for RCB.

Saini brings express pace with himself, which lacks in the likes of Bhuvneshwar and Deepak Chahar. He has played 10 T20Is for India and taken 13 wickets.

Other options for India include the mystery spin of Varun Chakravarthy, the left-arm angle of Chetan Sakariya and the chinaman Kuldeep Yadav. The ODI series preceding the T20Is, which will indicate the kind of pitches and the conditions in Colombo, would also impact the bowling combination to be used in the T20 series.

Also Read: 3 Shocking Decisions In India’s Squad For Sri Lanka Tour