India vs West Indies 2019: 3 Indian players who deserve a spot in the starting XI in T20Is 

Flying high after a dominating victory over Bangladesh, Team India will take on West Indies in its next assignment. Led by regular skipper Virat Kohli, the Men in Blue will play three T20 matches and three ODIs. The first T20 international match will commence on December 6 in Hyderabad.

India recently announced teams for both the T20 series and the ODI series. Dropping a couple of names from the last T20 series against Bangladesh, the selectors have brought back some experienced names, especially in the bowling department.

Having shown exceptional form in Test Cricket, Mohammed Shami got his place back in the limited-overs cricket, for the first time since the Cricket World Cup in July. Bhuvenshar Kumar was recalled after recovering from injury, while Sanju Samson replaced an injured Shikhar Dhawan.

Also see – World Test Championship points table

In this article, we will take a look at three such players who deserve a chance in the starting eleven.

#3 Kuldeep Yadav

Kuldeep Yadav

Since the World Cup exit of Team India in the semi-finals, it hasn't been fruitful run for Kuldeep Yadav, who lost his place from the starting eleven. In the recent series against Bangladesh, Kuldeep didn't feature, whereas his counterpart Yuzvendra Chahal played all three matches.

There is no doubt that Kuldeep has been one of the consistent spinners of the Indian team, taking wickets all over the world. Playing a total of 18 T20 International matches, Kuldeep has taken 35 wickets at an impressive average of 12.97. Kuldeep is the only Indian spinner to take a fifer in all three formats of the game.

Kuldeep played 8 games in the World Cup and took 6 wickets, which was certainly not up to his standard. The 24-year old is still young, and he has a lot to offer in the next few years. Given Kuldeep is part of the T20 squad against West Indies, he certainly deserves another chance to prove his worth.

#2 Mohammed Shami

Mohammed Shami

Mohammed Shami, the pacer who has rattled many prominent batsmen in red-ball cricket, is back in the limited-overs cricket. Earlier, Shardul Thakur and Khaleel Ahmed were selected against South Africa and Bangladesh, but they failed to deliver.

The 29-year-old had a memorable World Cup for India this year, picking up 14 wickets in just 4 matches, including a hattrick against Afghanistan. Despite a spectacular performance, Shami was left out of the semi-final match against New Zealand, which India lost. Shami has taken 131 wickets in just 70 ODI matches at a bowling average of 24. However, the pacer has played just 7 international T20 matches, taking a total of 8 wickets.

With less than a year left for the T20 World Cup in Australia, Shami could prove to be a lethal option, but he needs more opportunities in T20 international matches. Shami, therefore, deserves a place in the starting eleven against West Indies, and it will not be surprising if the speedster replicates the same performance from the Test Cricket.

#1 Sanju Samson

Samson deserves a chance

Sanju Samson, the talented wicket-keeper batsman from Kerala, had created a buzz recently after the selectors excluded him from the West Indies series. When Samson was left out of the team, cricket fans across the country were furious, showing their frustration on social media platforms. Nevertheless, Samson came back to the squad as a replacement for the injured Shikhar Dhawan.

Samson scored the fastest double century in List A Cricket for Kerala in October against Goa, hitting 212 runs off just 129 balls in Vijay Hazare Trophy. After an incredible season in the domestic Cricket, Samson was recalled to the national team against Bangladesh, after a gap of four years.

With Rishabh Pant struggling to find his feet in the Indian Team, Samson could be a great choice behind the stumps. Having played 93 IPL matches, Samson has vast experience in the shortest format of the game. The Rajasthan Royals player has 2209 runs in IPL at an average of 27, including two centuries. If Pant doesn't get dropped, Samson can still play as a specialist batsman.