India and Australia will face each other in a three-match T20I series, which begins on September 20. The first match will take place in Mohali, while the remaining two matches will take place in Nagpur (September 23) and Hyderabad (September 25). In addition to striving to win the matches against each other, both sides will also use the series to find a regular player in the lead up to the T20 World Cup which will take place in Australia in October-November this year.
Speaking of India, their batting division is looking good. Meanwhile, their bowling is more or less arranged. It is certainly the choice between wicketkeepers Rishabh Pant and Dinesh Karthik that will be the biggest dilemma for the selectors. The team management has given Karthik fair attention in the recent past, but the lack of hitting opportunities left the player’s form in doubt.
Whatever happens, Karthik has certainly become a major competitor to Pant and if one of the two fails in their performances from here on, it will probably give way to the other.
Here’s what we think India’s XI could be against Australia in the first T20I:
KL Rahul: The righthanded batter fails to find the rhythm after returning from an injury in the Indian squad. He lacks freedom in his stroke play and he has to use the series against Australia to get back to his best.
Rohit Sharma: The captain is in good batting form. Not many big scores have been achieved with his bat in the recent past, but Rohit looked extremely positive in his batting approach, something that carries a lot of weight in the T20 format.
Virat Kohli: The former India captain is finally back in his rhythm. After a sensational Asia Cup campaign on the individual front, Kohli should continue his good form in the series of three games against Australia.
Suryakumar Yadav: The right-handed batter has to give himself more time on the crease. Form and confidence have never been a question for him, but his consistency will certainly keep things in check for the team given the upcoming T20 World Cup.
Dinesh Karthik: The wicketkeeper batter got negligible playing time in the recently concluded Asian Cup. The team management has shown its confidence in the player but it should also focus on giving more hitting chances for the 2022 T20 World Championship. This reason could help Karthik secure a place in playing XI.
Hardik Pandya: The all-rounder failed to impress in his last two Asian Cup matches against Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Hardik must aim for a good comeback in the coming series against Australia.
Ravichandran Ashwin: The spinner’s right arm has been pretty good for India lately with his performance, but he should also try to contribute with the bat.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar: The right-arm pacer was taken to the cleaners in the death overs against Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the 2022 Asia Cup. He would view the T20I series against Australia as an opportunity to fine-tune himself for the T20 World Cup .
Harshal Patel: The right arm pacer returns to the national team lineup after recovering from injury. Harshal has been given a good chance to test his bowling skills against a quality team like Australia.
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Jasprit Bumrah: The pinnacle of Indian bowling is finally back with the team after recovering from injury. Bumrah is one of the extremely valuable players for India and his form will have a big impact on the team’s performance in the coming matches.
Yuzvendra Chahal: The leg spinner was wicketless in his first two matches in the 2022 Asian Cup, but he eventually returned to form against Sri Lanka with figures of 3/34.
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