Indian selectors and the team management are all set to name some new faces in the T20I contingent ahead of the five-match series against the West Indies. India will look to bring a fearless brand of cricket to the Indian team under the leadership of Hardik Pandya as they will try to groom the youngsters for the next T20 World Cup.
IPL 2023 has unearthed a few young talents for the country who can make it into the Indian side for the forthcoming series as they will look to develop players for the forthcoming series. The youngster would look to make use of the opportunities coming on their way to make it big on the International stage.
Here is India’s T20I Squad If All Senior Players Are Rested for the upcoming West Indies series.
1. Openers – Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, And Yashasvi Jaiswal
Shubman Gill 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 going forward in all three formats.
Ruturaj Gaikwad has found himself in and out of the Indian team due to his inconsistent performance but has found his rhythm back in the IPL 2023 as he played a crucial role for Chennai Super Kings in their title-winning campaign in IPL 2023.
Yashasvi Jaiswal performed exceedingly well for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2023 as he scored 625 runs in 14 matches at an average of 48.08 and has hit five half-centuries and one century in the season, including the highest scorer by an uncapped Indian in the IPL.
2. Middle Order Batters- Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, And Shivam Dube
Tilak Varma 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. The youngster broke out into the scenes following his impressive stint with the Indian U-19 team and has grown in stature in the last couple of seasons in domestic cricket.
Rinku Singh was one of the best Indian batters in the IPL 2023 and has shown excellent temperament to finish the game for his side from tough situations. The Southpaw has scored 474 runs in 14 matches at an average of 59.25 and a strike rate of 149.52, with four half-centuries most importantly finishing the games for his side in the impossible situations.
Shivam Dube has been an important player for the Chennai Super Kings and has played exceptionally well in the middle order for the four-time champions. The Indian all-rounder has been one of the big hitters for CSK providing them the much-needed impetus in their batting.
3. Wicket-keepers – Jitesh Sharma And Ishan Kishan
Jitesh Sharma has impressed everyone with his hard-hitting batting and finishing abilities for Punjab Kings in the last two seasons. The 29-year-old was part of the India T20 squad in the previous two series but could not make his debut for the Men in Blue and the Vidarbha wicket-keeper has a great chance of making his debut for the Indian team during the West Indies tour.
Ishan Kishan can be a secondary wicket-keeper in the team, 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.
4. All-Rounders – Hardik Pandya (C) And Venkatesh Iyer
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, as the team needs to bring a fearless approach going forward in the International Cricket.
Venkatesh Iyer made his mark with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as he made a brilliant comeback after an injury. He seemed equally comfortable against pace and spin, as he can also bowl some overs in the middle for the India team. The all-rounder has been in fine form and could be a handy addition to any squad.
5. Spinners – Ravi Bishnoi And Kuldeep Yadav
Ravi Bishnoi was called up to the Indian side last year following impressive performances for Lucknow Super Giants In IPL 2022 but was out of the Indian team for T20 World Cup as the team went in with experienced Ravichandran Ashwin for the marquee and would be a valuable addition to the Indian team for the West Indies series. Bishnoi has picked up 16 wickets in 10 T20I outings for the Indian team so far.
Kuldeep Yadav had a terrific outing for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2022, 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 all three formats of the game.
6. Fast Bowlers – Mohsin Khan, Mohit Sharma, and Arshdeep Singh
Mohsin Khan has shown the ability to contain the batsmen in the powerplays and variations in the death overs making him one of the best bowlers of the IPL and can be a vital player for the Indian team going forward. The left-arm pacer would bring in different variety in the Indian pace attack.
Mohit Sharma made a stunning comeback into the Indian Premier League as he played a crucial role for the Gujarat Titans in IPL 2023. The Indian veteran has picked up 27 wickets at a decent economy of 8.17 in the 14 matches bowling the tough death overs for the Hardik Pandya-led side.
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.