India are all set to take on England in the fifth and final T20I at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday, February 2. The Men in Blue have already won the series by virtue of three wins and will want to try out some new combinations in the dead rubber.
India have been forced to make a number of changes owing to injury, and their plans for the final game are unclear. While bowling coach Morne Morkel hinted at a couple of changes after the previous encounter, the hosts are likely to have an eye on the upcoming ODI series as well as the Champions Trophy.
India’s updated squad for the T20I series against England: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Axar Patel (vc), Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammad Shami, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Washington Sundar, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Shivam Dube, Ramandeep Singh.
On that note, here is India's predicted playing XI for the fifth T20I against England.
Openers: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk)
Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson haven't quite set the series on fire so far, the latter in particular. While Abhishek will want another big score like the one he notched up in the opening T20I, Samson will have an eye on overcoming his short-ball woes. Changes are unlikely in this department.
Middle Order: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Ramandeep Singh
Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma, who aren't part of the ODI squad for the England series and the Champions Trophy, are expected to retain their places in the playing XI. Suryakumar, as the captain, will of course play. Tilak, who doesn't have scores in his last two matches, will want to return to his purple patch.
Hardik Pandya, who has played all four T20Is so far, is in line for a rest. The all-rounder remains an integral part of India's ODI setup and should not be risked. While Dhruv Jurel is an option to replace him, Shivam Dube could recover from the concussion he suffered in the last game to retain his place.
Ramandeep Singh is yet to make an appearance in the series and could be handed an opportunity in the dead rubber. The all-rounder would join Rinku Singh and Axar Patel in the lower-middle order, although Washington Sundar could just as easily come in for the left-arm spinner.
Lower Order: Harshit Rana, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Shami
Harshit Rana, who made his T20I debut in the previous game and impressed, could be part of the starting XI for the first time in his white-ball career. Morkel indicated that Shami would be tried out in Mumbai, and that could mean that Arshdeep Singh is rested.
Varun Chakaravarthy could also be given a break after playing four games on the trot. Ravi Bishnoi, who picked up three wickets in the last game, could lead the spin attack. If Chakaravarthy is picked, one of the middle-order batters or Rana could miss out.
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