Australia vs India 2018-19: Five players to watch out for in the T20I series

India are on a roll after winning the series against West Indies and will tour Australia to take on the Kangaroos. The series comprises of 3 T20Is, 4 Tests and 3 ODIs and it is expected to be an exciting two months of action.

After getting whitewashed by Pakistan in UAE in 2 Tests and 3 T20Is series, the Aussies hosted South Africa for a 3 ODIs and one-off T20I. They lost the series in both the formats and will be looking to come back to winning ways when they host the Indian cricket team.

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Let us take a look at five players to watch out for in the T20I series between India and Australia.

#5 Ashton Agar

Ashton Agar made his international debut in the Test series against England in 2013. It was Michael Clarke who placed Agar in the team ahead of an experienced Nathon Lyon. In his debut game, the Aussies pacers ripped through the England batsmen and Agar did not get right opportunity to showcase his bowling prowess.

However, he did something remarkable when the kangaroos came out to bat as he was involved in a 163-run last wicket partnership with Phil Hughes. The duo ensured Australia get the lead and Agar was dismissed for 98, missing out on a very well deserved century. He picked up two wickets in the second innings but the Aussies lost the game in a thriller.

Although Agar had a brilliant Test debut, he was unfortunate to be dropped only after his second Test. He worked very hard and shone in the BBL and this led to selectors noticing his talents in the shorter format.

He has played in 15 T20 internationals so far and picked up 10 wickets at an economy rate of 7.48. His last T20 game was against Pakistan in the recently concluded 3-match series in which Australia got whitewashed. He played in only one T20 and remained wicketless. He is definitely talented, both with the bat and ball, and this series will be a make or break for him.

#4 Rishabh Pant

England Lions v India A - Tri-Series International

Rishabh Pant became the then youngest player to play for India in T20I when he made his debut in the third T20I against England in 2017. He was electrifying in the IPL 2018 and scored 394 runs in 14 matches at a strike-rate of 173.60.

He smashed 128* off 63 against the Sunrisers Hyderabad which is the highest individual score by an Indian in a T20 match. Pant has had innumerous such knocks in the IPL and is known for his hard-hitting ability.

The Delhi Daredevils wicketkeeper has featured in 6 T20Is so far but did not impress with his performances. His highest score is 58 off 35 balls which came against West Indies in 2018.

Pant failed in the first two T20Is of the series against West Indies and was facing a lot of criticism. However, he came up with a timely knock of 58 off 35 balls in the final T20I.

If he explodes, he can change the course of the game single-handedly and the fans should expect him to go big in the series against Australia.

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#3 Khaleel Ahmed

Khaleel Ahmed set the stage on fire with some stunning performances at youth level and will be remembered fondly for his exploits in the Tri-Nation under-19s tournament finals in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

In the 2017-18 Vijay Hazare trophy, he picked up 10 wickets in 6 matches which opened gates for entry to the Deodhar Trophy. Although his base price was only 20 lakhs INR in the IPL, he was picked up by the Sunrisers Hyderabad for a massive 3 crores with multiple franchises showing interest in him.

Khaleel has featured in six ODI games for the country so far and picked up a whopping 11 wickets at an economy rate of just above 5. He made his T20 debut in the recently concluded series against West Indies and picked up 3 wickets in two matches.

All eyes will be on him as he will look to make use of the opportunity against Australia.

#2 Andrew Tye

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The right-arm medium-fast bowler is known for his ability to bowl yorkers at will and is currently one of the most sought-after players in the shortest format. He is also a highly reliable slog-overs bowler and is known for building pressure on the batsmen towards the end with the knuckle ball.

He plays for the Kings XI Punjab in the IPL and in 2017-18 edition, he finished as the leading wicket-taker with 24 wickets in 14 matches at an economy rate of 8.00 and was subsequently awarded the purple cap for his heroics.

Tye can also bat and has a penchant to hit big sixes and get some handy runs down the order. In the recently concluded T20 series against Pakistan, he picked up 4 wickets in 3 matches at an economy rate of 7.83. India would definitely need to be wary of him to avoid any hiccups.

#1 Krunal Pandya

Krunal Pandya made use of the opportunity in the T20 series against West Indies

Krunal Pandya is one of the hottest names in the IPL and one of the most consistent and reliable all-rounders in world cricket today.

He has played a lot of invaluable knocks in the domestic circuit and was also Baroda's leading run-getter and wicket-taker in 2016-17 Vijay Hazare Trophy. He finished up with 366 runs in 8 matches and also picked up 8 wickets in the tournament. After a long wait, he was finally named in India's T20 squad against West Indies and Australia.

Krunal made his international debut against West Indies in the first T20 and lived up to the hype. He finished with figures of 4-0-15-1 in the bowling department. While chasing a paltry total of 110, he scored quick-fire 21 off 9 deliveries, accompanied by 3 fours and took India home.

It will be really interesting to see what he does in the series against Australia with his all-round skills.