IND vs SL 2022: Predicting India's playing 11 for 1st T20I

It's a T20I series between the ICC No.1 ranked India and the ninth-placed Sri Lanka.

The gulf between the two teams is so stark that India will start as overwhelming favorites despite being without two of their best-ranked T20 batters - Virat Kohli and KL Rahul - and another first-choice player in Rishabh Pant.

Team India completed a thumping 6-0 whitewash of West Indies in a three-ODI and three-T20I rubber. Skipper Rohit Sharma said his aim for the upcoming series would be to "not look at the opposition" and continue giving opportunities to young players with an eye on this year's T20 World Cup.

While he tries to do that, Rohit will also have to manage the long-awaited return of Jasprit Bumrah, who's also the vice-captain, and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja.

Here's how India stack up: Rohit Sharma (c) Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan (wk, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Bumrah (vc), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Deepak Chahar, Harshal Patel, Md. Siraj, Sanju Samson (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Y Chahal, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Avesh Khan.

Below, we predict what could be India's possible combination for the first T20I which will begin at 7:00 pm IST in Lucknow on Thursday.

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India's Openers: Rohit Sharma (C), Ishan Kishan

Since taking over the captaincy, Rohit has followed a clear plan - play with the best combination until the series is won and leave the major experiments for later.

The skipper batted at No.4 in the final T20I against the West Indies to accommodate Ruturaj Gaikwad at the top of the order in the dead rubber game. But he should be back in his usual opening spot for the first game of the new series.

Ishan Kishan had an underwhelming series against the West Indies - 71 runs from three games. However, considering how he's been India's "backup T20I opener" since before the T20 World Cup 2021, he is likely to be forgiven for a bad series and get at least two more games to prove himself at that position.

Gaikwad might feel hard done by but he'll have to bide his time and grab the limited opportunities he receives to get ahead of Kishan in the pecking order.

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Middle Order: Shreyas Iyer, Sanju Samson (wk) and Suryakumar Yadav

Rohit could have come in at No.3 on Sunday but he chose to send Shreyas Iyer ahead. The latter has been in and out of the team for various reasons which have allowed Suryakumar Yadav to cement his position at No.5.

Shreyas getting a chance at No.3 indicated that the team management consider him as a backup for Virat Kohli in that spot. In the absence of the former captain, the Kolkata Knight Riders leader should start behind the openers in the first match.

Sanju Samson is likely to follow at No.4 while also taking the wicketkeeping gloves. Chairman of selectors Chetan Sharma, while announcing the squad, said they see Samson as a backup keeper for Rishabh Pant. The Rajasthan Royals skipper, thus, should take Pant's usual position for the series.

Yadav was the top run-scorer in both the ODI and T20I series against West Indies, emerging as the perfect blend of a responsible and stylish batter. He looks irreplaceable at No.5 and only needs to carry the form for as long as possible.

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All-rounders: Venkatesh Iyer and Ravindra Jadeja

Former India opener Wasim Jaffer, in a recent interview with ESPNcricinfo, said in his opinion Venkatesh Iyer is currently ahead of Hardik Pandya for the all-rounder spot in India's T20I team. His appreciation was rooted in Venkatesh's 92 runs in the three T20Is against West Indies at a brilliant strike rate of 184.

Venkatesh, an opener for Kolkata Knight Riders, adapted magnificently to emerge as a finisher for India alongside Yadav and is certain to continue in that role.

India's lower-order hitting prowess, though on the rise, will be even better with Jadeja's return from injury. He will immediately slot in at No.7, providing the team with a better balance by also contributing as one of the frontline spinners.

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Bowlers: Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Jasprit Bumrah and Yuzvendra Chahal

Senior pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar was rested on Sunday and should be back in place of Deepak Chahar. Kumar has looked to have gained some of his vintage rhythm back and would love to take it to the next step in this series.

Harshal Patel was simply stunning against West Indies. He's carried on his form from the IPL to emerge as a specialist middle and death-overs bowler and should pip Deepak Chahar and Avesh Khan to be India's No.9. His dipping slower ones and yorkers look set to form a deadly combination alongside Jasprit Bumrah.

With both Kumar and Patel not doing much in international cricket of late to qualify as all-rounders, they also provide some batting cushions in the lower order.

Bumrah will take the No.10 spot followed by leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, who should keep Ravi Bishnoi on the bench on account of seniority for the first T20I.