India vs Zimbabwe 2016: India's predicted playing XI

After a long T20 season, the cricket fans in India will be relieved from the overdose of T20s as the Indian cricket team is set to play 3 ODIs and 3 T20Is against Zimbabwe later this month. With the West Indies tour set to take place in July, the selectors decided to pick a team that consists of fringe players and rookies.

Though ODI skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni will be a part of the series, usual suspects, including Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, R Ashwin, Shikhar Dhawan and Ajinkya Rahane are rested for the series. In their place, the selectors have rewarded the consistent performers a chance to showcase their skills at the highest level.

Players like KL Rahul, Axar Patel, Ambati Rayudu, Manish Pandey Dhawal Kulkarni and Kedar Jadhav are in and out of the Indian side and this series gives them a perfect opportunity to prove themselves and push for a permanent squad in the Indian squad.

Indian squad to face Zimbabwe in 3 ODIs and 3 T20s: MS Dhoni (capt & wk), KL Rahul, Faiz Fazal, Manish Pandey, Karun Nair, Ambati Rayudu, Rishi Dhawan, Axar Patel, Jayant Yadav, Dhawal Kulkarni, Jasprit Bumrah, Barinder Sran, Mandeep Singh, Kedar Jadhav, Jaydev Unadkat, Yuzvendra Chahal.

Who will be the part of the Indian playing XI in Zimbabwe? Let us take a look at the Indian cricket team’s possible playing XI for the ODI and T20 series in Zimbabwe.

Openers:

KL Rahul and Mandeep Singh during their under-19 days

The selectors have picked two frontline openers in KL Rahul and Faiz Fazal in the squad. KL Rahul is certain to open for India, the other opener’s spot is up for the grabs.

Faiz Fazal will get a stiff competition from Mandeep Singh for the slot. Though Mandeep is not a frontline opener, he has a very good record at the top of the order and that might make the selectors go in favour of the Punjab batsman alongside Rahul at the top of the order.

Fazal has a fantastic record in the first-class games and when it comes to the List A format, he has the tendency to score runs at a slow pace which is evident from his strike-rate (just over 66) in List A games. As a result of his inability to score runs at a quicker pace, he doesn’t have an IPL contract to his name.

On the other hand, Mandeep Singh has the ability to score runs at a brisk pace and it will help Rahul to play his natural game.

Middle-order batsmen:

The last time India played an ODI, Manish Pandey scored a brilliant 100

As far as the middle order is concerned, the team management will have a headache in picking the right combination. After his heroics in the last ODI India played going into this tour, Manish Pandey will get a direct entry into the team.

Karun Nair, who was brilliant in the domestic circuit for the last 2 seasons, got a call-up to the Indian test team during the Sri Lankan tour last year. Hi might not have got a chance to play but has been impressive in the domestic circuit and continued his good work in the IPL, for which he was rewarded with a call-up to the ODI team. On recent form, he is better than his competitors and that might help him seal his place in the playing XI.

With an all-rounder at number 7 and skipper MS Dhoni at number 5, there is just one slot available in the middle-order for which there will be a toss-up between Ambati Rayudu and Kedar Jadhav. The last time when India toured Zimbabwe, Ambati Rayudu was declared the Man of the series and Kedar Jadhav saved India from blushes in the third ODI with a brilliant 100.

Rayudu was decent with the bat for Mumbai Indians in IPL while Jadhav was ignored in the Royal Challengers Bangalore line-up for KL Rahul. If the team management decides to go with current form, Jadhav might be the one to miss out from the XI. If the management wants to go with experience, then both Rayudu and Jadhav will make it to the squad at the expense of Karun Nair.

Spinners:

Yuzvendra Chahal had a very good IPL and might make it to the Indian XI in Zimbabwe

Yuzvendra Chahal, Jayant Yadav and Axar Patel have been chosen in the squad as spinners. Axar is a certainty in the playing XI and the fate of Chahal and Yadav will depend on the combination which the team management wants to go with.

If the team management wants to go in with four pacers and a lone spinner, neither Chahal nor Yadav will make it to the playing XI. But if its three pacers and two spinners, Yuzvendra Chahal might get into the team ahead of Yadav.

Chahal has been brilliant in the List A format and the T20s for Haryana and was rewarded with a call-up to the Board President’s XI to face the visiting South African team. His heroics in the 2016 IPL helped his team Royal Challengers Bangalore to reach the finals and Chahal finished 2 wickets less than the eventual purple cap winner Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

Fast bowlers:

Jasprit Bumrah has been instrumental for India in the recent past

As many as five pacers are included in the Indian squad for the Zimbabwe series. Jasprit Bumrah has been instrumental in India’s run to the semi-finals of the World T20 and has won the skipper’s confidence with his performances of late. So, Bumrah is certain to be in the XI.

Dhawal Kulkarni hasn’t had a decent run of matches with Team India in the past and this time, Kulkarni will be given a full series with the Indian team, thanks to his heroics in the domestic circuit and IPL.

As mentioned in the spinners’ section, if India decides to go in with an extra pacer, then both Barinder Sran and Rishi Dhawan will get a chance. But if both Chahal and Axar start for India, it will be a toss up between Dhawan and Sran and the former could pip the latter for a place in the playing XI for the ODIs, thanks to his ability to contribute with the bat.

In T20Is, Sran could be in the team ahead of Rishi after having a great debut season in IPL playing for the eventual champions Sunrisers Hyderabad.

The possible playing XIs:

Will MS Dhoni give chances to the youngsters?

With the Indian cricket team regulars rested, this series acts as the perfect stage for the fringe players to prove their worth. So, it won’t be surprising if the team management decides to give a chance to all the players in the squad.

Let us take a look at the strongest possible Indian XI for the series against Zimbabwe

ODIs: KL Rahul, Mandeep Singh, Karun Nair, Ambati Rayudu, Manish Pandey, MS Dhoni, Axar Patel, Rishi Dhawan, Dhawal Kulkarni, Jasprit Bumrah and Yuzvendra Chahal.

T20Is: KL Rahul, Mandeep Singh, Karun Nair, Ambati Rayudu, Manish Pandey, MS Dhoni, Axar Patel, Dhawal Kulkarni, Jasprit Bumrah, Barinder Sran and Yuzvendra Chahal