Team India will have some fresh faces in the T20I contingent ahead of the five-match series against the West Indies. India will look to bring some fearless in the team under the leadership of Hardik Pandya to groom them for the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Indian Premier League has been the perfect platform for many young Indian cricketers to break into the Indian side and the IPL 2023 has unearthed a few youngsters who had found themselves in the T20 team for West Indies. The youngster would look to make use of the opportunities coming on their way to make it big on the International stage.
Youngsters Yashasvi Jaiswal and Tilak Varma have earned their maiden call-up for the Indian team. On the Other hand, the likes of Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma, and Ruturaj Gaikwad were once again snubbed by the selectors despite performing well in the recently concluded IPL 2023. Here is probable India’s playing 11 for the West Indies T20Is.
1. Openers – Shubman Gill And Ishan Kishan
Shubman Gill will be the primary opener for the Indian team in all three formats of the game. The Punjab youngster has amassed 851 runs at an average of 60.79 and a strike rate of 156.43 playing a crucial role for the Gujarat Titans in IPL 2023. The 23-year-old has three tons and four half-centuries to his name this season, as he scored his three centuries in the last four games and would be a crucial member of the Indian team in the West Indies T20’s in the absence of senior Indian players.
Ishan Kishan will mostly likely open alongside Shubman Gill at the top given his experience in the shorter format of the game, as he showed the ability to bat anywhere in the batting order, the left-handed batter had a reasonable outing with the bat for the Mumbai Indians scoring 454 runs from 15 games at an impressive strike rate of 142.76 in recently concluded IPL 2023 and can also take up the job of glovemen in the team.
2.Middle Order – Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav And Sanju Samson (WK)
Tilak Varma broke out into the IPL scenes following his impressive stint with the Indian U-19 team and has grown in stature in the last couple of seasons in IPL and domestic cricket. The Southpaw was one of the most impressive uncapped cricketers in the country as he performed exceedingly well for the five-time champions in the last two seasons for Mumbai Indians, playing in different positions and match situations for the Rohit Sharma-led side.
Mumbai Indians 360-degree batter Suryakumar Yadav has done exceptionally well in the middle and death overs for the five-time champions in IPL 2023 and the right-handed batter was brilliant for the Indian team in T20 cricket throughout 2022 and would be a crucial player for the Indian team going into 2024 T20 World Cup and he would try to guide the youngster around him going forward, especially in T20 Cricket.
Sanju Samson was one of the underutilized cricketers in the Indian team, as he made his debut for the Indian team in 2015, The Indian wicket-keeper batter has played only 17 games in the shorter format of the game and will make use of the opportunity to score runs in the Caribbean soil to seal his place in the Indian side.
3. All-Rounders – Hardik Pandya (C) And Axar Patel
Hardik Pandya would certainly lead the Indian team going forward in T20 cricket, as the Indian team management and selectors would look to develop the next set of youngsters for the 2024 T20 World Cup. The Indian skipper would be leading a young-looking Indian team as his role with both bat and ball will be crucial for the team’s success against the Men in Maroon. The 29-year-old hasn’t played any sort of competitive cricket since IPL and he would gear up to lead the Indian team in T20s.
Indian all-rounder Axar Patel has been in the form of his life in recent times. The Left-handed all-rounder has been consistent with both bat and ball in all three formats of the game for India. The 29-year-old was one of the bright spots for the Delhi Capitals in the recently concluded Indian Premier League and he would take up the role of second all-rounder in the team.
4.Spinner – Kuldeep Yadav
Kuldeep Yadav had been in fantastic form for Delhi Capitals and the Indian team in recent times, Though Delhi Capitals had a disastrous season in IPL 2023, Kuldeep has managed to retain his form, picking up some crucial wickets for his team in the opportunities provided to him. The Left arm Chinaman spinner can be a crucial player for the Indian team in the West Indies tour as he brings in different varieties to this bowling attack.
5. Fast Bowlers- Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik, And Mukesh Kumar
Indian left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh can be a valuable addition to the Indian team for the forthcoming West Indies tour, as the youngster impressed everyone during the 2022 T20 World Cup playing the role of the primary pacer in the team in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, being equally good with the new ball and old ball for the Indian team and the youngster can be crucial for India’s chances in the Caribbean soil.
Umran Malik has sensational performer in the last couple of years in domestic and International cricket, as made the headlines with his ability to bowl at a high pace in any format of the game. The 23-year-old made his debut for the Indian team in 2022 in T20I and ODI cricket. He has picked 13 and 11 wickets respectively in the white-ball formats for the Men in Blue.
Mukesh Kumar can be a vital player for the Indian team, with the old set of pacers not being effective in International Cricket, India would try to develop a new crop of fast bowling units to assist experienced pacers going into the next cycle. He also had a decent season with Delhi Capitals in IPL 2023.