On Wednesday (27 February), India and Australia will play the second and final T20I of the series at Bengaluru. While Australia is leading the series by 1-0, India now must have to win the Bengaluru T20I to save the series.
In the first T20I at Visakhapatnam, Australia won the thrilling match by three wickets on the final ball of the game.
Here is India’s predicted playing XI for the Bengaluru T20I.
Rohit Sharma
The limited-overs vice-captain Rohit Sharma is in an excellent form at present. Though he lost his wicket on just five runs in the last T20I at Visakhapatnam, the team management has total confidence in him.
KL Rahul
It is the golden opportunity for KL Rahul to grab the reserve opener spot for the upcoming World Cup. While he returned to the national team in the last game, he played an impressive knock of 50 runs off 36 balls. Now, he has to maintain this performance. In all the previous three professional cricket innings (including the T20I), KL Rahul played 50+ innings.
Virat Kohli (Captain)
The Indian skipper Virat Kohli is in the top batting form. He is once again ready to lead the side from the front in the crucial series-decider.
Rishabh Pant
The young cricketer Rishabh Pant is currently playing as a batsman. Though he has shown some impressive cricket performances, he needs to be more mature in the crucial moment.
MS Dhoni (wk)
The wicketkeeper-batsman MS Dhoni is one of the most crucial players of the Indian national cricket team. He is currently running in a good batting form. Though he played a slow knock in the last T20I, the circumstance wasn’t favorable for the team anyway.
Dinesh Karthik
Dinesh Karthik is playing the finisher-role very correctly. However, he needs to improve his first innings record in T20I career.
Vijay Shankar
Vijay Shankar is a versatile cricketer who has impressed with his recent performances. The pace-bowling all-rounder can bring depth to every aspect of his side. He can return to the team for the series-decider.
Krunal Pandya
Since his T20I debut in last November, Krunal Pandya has impressed with his bowling skills. Though he hasn’t got many opportunities in batting, many know his ability as a middle-order batsman.
Umesh Yadav
In the last T20I at Visakhapatnam, Umesh Yadav failed to defend 14 runs in the final over of the match. However, the past experiences say that he can return to his rhythm very quickly.
Yuzvendra Chahal
The leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal is a crucial cricketer in the present limited-overs Indian national cricket team. He is currently in an excellent form with the ball in hand.
Jasprit Bumrah
The Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah is consistently dominating in international cricket. The Indian bowling line-up seems a little bit dependable on him.