India vs Sri Lanka, 1st T20I: India Predicted XI

After defeating the Sri Lankans in the Test and One Day International series, the Indians will lock horns with the visitors in the shortest format of the game. The team will be led by Rohit Sharma once again, in the absence of Virat Kohli, who is busy with his post marriage celebrations. The 1st match of the 20 over games will be played at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack and the Indians will clearly go in as the favourites.

The Indian squad looks massively strong one, with a plethora of young talents who have proved themselves in the domestic circuit. The Sri Lankans cannot be written off completely considering their performance which have significantly improved from India’s visit to the island nation earlier this year in August.

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Here is the Indian Predicted XI for the inaugural T20 encounter between the Asian giants:

Openers – Rohit Sharma, Lokesh Rahul

Skipper Rohit Sharma will open the innings for India along with Lokesh Rahul who has been slightly out of form in the recent times. Sharma has established himself as one of the greatest openers of the game in the recent times and there is no doubt about the quality he possesses. His scintillating 200 in the 2nd One Day International against Sri Lanka gave us a taste of his destructive nature. Sharma’s captaincy will also be a big plus for India, and we are familiar with his capabilities as the Mumbai Indians skipper. Lokesh Rahul needs to prove himself, and the opportunity will be a crucial one for the batsman.

Middle Order – Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Dinesh Karthik

Youngster Shreyas Iyer has pounced on the opportunity given to him in the ODI series in the most appropriate way. Smashing two consecutive centuries in the 2nd and the 3rd ODI, Iyer has already outstandingly announced himself. Shreyas Iyer has done justice to the number 3 spot left vacant by Virat Kohli and will continue to maintain the same till the skipper returns. Dinesh Karthik is a fantastic addition to the middle order due to his ability to be responsible yet aggressive at the same time. His immense experience in the format will be a major gain for the men in blue, and he has constantly proved that in the Indian Premier League. We are all familiar with manish Pandey’s ability as a batsman. Arguably the most talented young batsman in the squad, Manish pandey can see off the best of the bowlers on his day. With exceptional match winning knocks in his bag, the Kolkata Knigth Riders star is a superstar in the making.

Lower Middle order – MS Dhoni, Hardik Pandya

There is nothing to say about the legendary MS Dhoni who is an obvious choice in the team. Mahendra Singh Dhoni has delivered for the team time and time again and his extraordinary talent cannot be replaced at any cost. All-rounder Hardik Pandya  coming in at 7th shows the incredible depth of the the Indian batting line up. Pandya’s talent to hit balls out of the park from the time he steps down on the 22 yards will be a major threat to the Lions. However, Pandya will also be a deadly customer with the ball.

Spinners – Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal

Kuldeepyadav and Yuzvendra Chahal is proving to be a lethal combination of wrist spin for the Indians. The exceptional qualities of both men to turn the ball is a serious headache for the opposition and we got an example in the third and final ODI. Chahal and Kuldeep both picked up 3 scalps each tearing apart the Sri Lankan line up like a pod of peas.

Pacers – Jasprit Bumrah, Basil Thampi

Jsprit Bumrah ranks among the best T20 bowlers in the world right now. With his unorthodox bowling style, the bowler is a tough nut to crack for the batsmen. His ability to bowl pinpoint yorkers and be extremely economical is a tremendous advantage for the team. India will depend on the bowler to provide the initial breakthroughs. Gujarat Lions bowler Basil Thampi is likely to be featured ahead of Mohammed Siraj and Jaydev Unadkat in the first T20 International. The right handed pacer had a stellar IPL campaign  for Gujarat Lions in the iconic 10th edition of the IPL and his never give up attitude might prove to be beneficial for the team.