After dominating the one-day internationals, Team India will look to continue their dominance when they face Windies in the first T20I at Eden Gardens on November 4 (Sunday).
Meanwhile, India have revamped their squad from the ODI going into the shortest format of the game. They have rested skipper Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni in an attempt to manage their workload. Rohit Sharma will again slot back to shoulder the captaincy roles. He has done an excellent job so far and will look to continue his good record.
Moreover, it will be a great opportunity for young cricketers to make a mark against a weak Windies bowling attack. Shreyas Iyer and Manish Pandey have done so well in the domestic circuit but have lacked consistency at the highest level. They will have to score some runs to be in good books of the selectors.
On the other hand, the bowling department looks sorted with Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah seeing off the pace department while Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, and Yuzvendra Chahal will look after the spin.
Here is the predicted XI for team India for the 1st T20I against Windies at the Eden Gardens:
ROHIT SHARMA (C)
Rohit Sharma has shouldered the job of leading the side pretty well and will again have to lead the side in the absence of Virat Kohli. Furthermore, his current form with the bat has set him apart as Rohit will look to smash few more out of the park in T20Is.
SHIKHAR DHAWAN
Shikhar Dhawan had a tough time in the ODIs failing to register a single fifty in the three outings. However, he needs to find back his touch soon before the men in blues leave for Australia. This will be the perfect opportunity for the southpaw to get his confidence back.
SHREYASH IYER
Shreyas Iyer has been a consistent performer in the domestic circuit for quite some time now. However, he has faced problems to transfer his form for India. Now in the absence of Virat Kohli, it will be a golden opportunity for him to put some runs under his belt against the Caribbeans.
MANISH PANDEY
Manish Pandey has struggled to continue his List A form in the international scene and has lacked consistency. This will be a huge opportunity for him to make a mark against a weak Windies attack.
DINESH KARTHIK
Dinesh Karthik had a good come back to the national side and subsequently impressed in the IPL. However, he lost his form and was dropped from the ODI squad against Windies. However, the upcoming T20I series will be a lifeline for him and he will be desperate to prove his worth with the bat.
RISHABH PANT (WK)
The young wicket-keeper batsman had a wonderful Test debut but failed to continue that form in the ODIs. Subsequently, he missed the last two ODIs. However, this will be a huge opportunity for young Rishabh Pant, who is likely to keep wickets in the absence of MS Dhoni.
RAVINDRA JADEJA
Ravindra Jadeja has slotted in well in place of injured Hardik Pandya and since then has been fairly consistent. He has chipped in with runs and has picked wickets in the middle overs.
The all-rounder will be keen to continue this form and be in the good books of the selectors.
BHUVNESHWAR KUMAR
Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been the go-to man for his skipper and has lived up to the expectations. He will have to continue doing his job of picking wickets with the new ball.
KULDEEP YADAV
Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal have formed a formidable partnership and has been pivotal to India’s success. He has weaved magic with his variations and Windies will have a task in hand to nullify Kuldeep.
YUZVENDRA CHAHAL
Yuzvendra Chahal has been a match-winner for this side chipping in with wickets at crucial junctures. India will depend on Chahal to provide crucial breakthroughs and the leg-spinner will be keen to live up to the expectations.
JASPRIT BUMRAH
Jasprit Bumrah has been the star performer for India across formats. His ability to use both new ball and old ball with perfection has stood him apart from the rest.
Bumrah will have to be in his pick and provide early wickets with the new ball.