Nidahas Trophy 2018: India’s predicted XI for first T20I against Sri Lanka

After a successful limited-overs leg in South Africa, India have decided to rest a few key players for the tri-nation series in Sri Lanka. The likes of Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav and Hardik Pandya have been rested.

Hence, with these key players not present, it will be interesting to see how the team shapes up for the opening game of the tri-series.

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Openers

Rohit Sharma

In the absence of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma will be leading the side. However, his form has been scratchy. He had scores of 21, 0 and 11 in the 3-match T20I series in South Africa. However, he has the ability to destroy the opposition single-handedly and will be looking to find some form.

Shikhar Dhawan

Shikhar Dhawan will partner Rohit Sharma at the top of the order. There were doubts about Dhawan’s ability to score big in T20s. However, the left-hander has let his bat do the talking. He scored 143 runs in 3 T20Is in South Africa including a match-winning 39-ball 72 in the first game.

Dhawan will look to continue his good form and give India good starts.

Middle-order

Suresh Raina

Suresh Raina made a successful comeback to the Indian T20I team with some good performances in the recently concluded T20I series in South Africa. He was promoted to No. 3 to gain some confidence and he repaid the faith of the captain. He also won the Man of the Match in the third T20I for his all-round performance (43 and 1/27).

Hence, Raina will look to continue the good work and try to cement his place in the limited-overs sides.

Manish Pandey

After sitting out for all 6 ODIs in South Africa, Manish Pandey got his opportunity in the T20I series. He started the series with a sluggish 27-ball 29, but he found his rhythm in the second game as he struck a superb 79 which helped India post a total of 188.

Thus, like Raina, Pandey will also be vying to cement his spot with some good scores.

Dinesh Karthik

Dinesh Karthik joined the Indian team just before the third Test in South Africa and got an opportunity in only one game - in the third T20I. In that game, he scored 13 in just 6 deliveries.

With key players from the middle-order missing, Karthik has the opportunity to impress the team management.

Wicket-keeper and All-rounders

Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant disappointed in the two T20Is he played last year. However, he has been in blistering form in the recent past. In the domestic T20 season, he scored 4 fifties and a hundred in the Zonal T20 League and the subsequent Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He also scored 135 in a recent Vijay Hazare Trophy game.

Vijay Shankar

Vijay Shankar has been on the fringes of the Indian team for around 4-5 months now. He was initially picked as a replacement for Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the Test series against Sri Lanka at home. Then he was part of the squad for the T20Is against Sri Lanka in December. But he failed to get a game.

However, with Hardik Pandya sitting out, Shankar is likely to get the opportunity to play as the fast bowling allrounder.

Axar Patel

Axar Patel has been with the Indian team for quite some time now. He travelled with the team all around South Africa but got a game only in the final T20I. Even in that game, he got to bat only one delivery and was asked to bowl only one over.

But with Kuldeep Yadav rested, Axar will look to grab this opportunity.

Bowlers

Yuzvendra Chahal

Yuzvendra Chahal has been one of the main reasons for India’s limited-overs success in the recent past. He has formed a lethal combination with Kuldeep Yadav. But in the absence of the chinaman, Chahal will have to take the responsibility of leading the spin attack in the tri-series.

Jaydev Unadkat

On the back of an outstanding IPL 2017, Jaydev Unadkat earned a recall to India’s T20 side in December. He repaid the faith of the selectors with a superb performance as he grabbed the Man of the Series in the series against Sri Lanka.

In South Africa, the left-arm seamer played all three games and was on the expensive side. But with Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar rested, he will take the new ball.

Shardul Thakur

Shardul Thakur has impressed in the limited opportunities he has got. After making his debut in Sri Lanka in August last year, the Mumbai pacer continued to grow in South Africa. In the only ODI he played, he took 4/52 while he took 2 wickets in 2 games in the T20 series. He will partner Unadkat in the pace department.