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With one eye on the upcoming T20 World Cup, the Indian Cricket Team looks geared up for the three-match T20 International series against the reigning T20 world champions West Indies. The series, starting from 6th December, is one among the many planned by the BCCI as preparatory measures for the grand tournament.
The schedule for the T20 International matches is as follows:
1st T20I: 6th December in Mumbai
2nd T20I: 8th December in Thiruvananthapuram
3rd T20I: 11th December in Hyderabad
India has decided to field a balanced team in this series, recalling tried and tested pacers Mohammad Shami and Bhuvneswar Kumar. Here's the full 15-member squad:
T20I Squad: Virat Kohli(c), Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant, Manish Pandey, Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Deepak Chahar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami.
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Overall, the team looks quite good on paper, with a perfect mix of youth and experience. However, the bowling line-up needs to rise up to the occasion and bowl to their full potential in order to stop the dangerous West Indian batting line-up from wreaking havoc.
The Windies have one of the T20 best teams in the world although their recent form has been a bit patchy. They have more match-winners in their lineup than any other team in the world.
So, in order to win the series, Kohli's boys will need to be at their absolute best.
In this article, we look at what India's best possible playing XI could be if they are to beat the West Indies in this T20I series.
Openers: Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan
The star openers are undoubtedly the pillars of this Indian T20 team. This is one of the greatest opening pairs in the history of T20 Internationals, and India's success in this series will depend on how these two players perform at the top of the order.
Middle-order: Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and Shreyas Iyer
Captain Kohli will definitely be coming in 'one down', his favorite batting position. With the T20 World Cup within sight, the skipper will surely be eager to do well with the bat. He will look to play his usual role of an anchor for the team in this series.
KL Rahul will most probably play at the number-four position. He has a good record in the shortest format of the game and hence is an automatic selection in the playing XI. At the number-five position. Shreyas Iyer is most likely to get the nod ahead of Manish Pandey because of his ability to score big and hit the big ones during the death overs.
Wicket-keeper: Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant will be India's obvious choice for the wicket-keeper's slot in the playing XI. He will most probably walk out to bat at number 6.
Pant's devastating batting style makes him a match-winner in the shortest format of the game. However, his recent form with the bat has been a cause for concern. The southpaw will definitely hope to get his mojo back in this series.
Spinners: Ravindra Jadeja and Yuzvendra Chahal
Against West Indies, India will most probably opt for two specialist spinners. Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, and Yuzvendra Chahal are the ones battling it out amongst themselves for the two spots.
Considering Jadeja's ability to contribute with both the ball and the bat, coupled with brilliant fielding skills, he seems to be a shoo-in for one of the two positions. Chahal's leg-spin brings that much-needed variety to the attack and hence he is likely to edge out Yadav and take the second spinner's slot.
Fast Bowlers: Deepak Chahar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami
In the absence of star pacer Jasprit Bumrah, the onus of leading the pace attack will be on the shoulders of the experienced pair of Mohammad Shami and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. How this pair performs in their comeback series will go a long way in determining India's fate.
They will have the young and talented Deepak Chahar with them to complete the pace-bowling lineup.
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