The India vs Sri Lanka 1st T20I will be the first match for Men in Blue in the shortest format of the game since Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s retirement. It’ll also be a special day for Suryakumar Yadav, who’ll lead a full-strength Indian team for the first time as well. How’ll the playing XI for the IND vs SL 1st T20I look? Will Sanju Samson get a chance, and will Rinku Singh get a nod ahead of Shivam Dube?
No place for Sanju Samson again
Sanju Samson missed out on playing in the T20 World Cup as Rishabh Pant was given a nod ahead of him. He warmed the bench throughout the tournament, and in the India vs Sri Lanka T20I series, that’ll be the case as well. The right-handed wicketkeeper batter is one of the most flexible batters, but only one is up for grabs.
Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill will open, Suryakumar Yadav will play at No. 4, Hardik Pandya and Rinku Singh/Shivam Dube will play at 5 and 6, and then we’ll have spin all-rounders followed by bowlers. The No. 3 spot, where Pant played in the T20 World Cup, is the only one to contend for.
Pant has been given preference over him in the past. After winning the World Cup, it won’t exactly be shocking that the southpaw is picked ahead of Samson, even though Pant didn’t perform that well at the event.
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Rinku Singh over Shivam Dube
Unlike Samson, Rinku Singh, who wasn’t even part of India’s squad for the T20 World Cup, will play ahead of Shivam Dube. The reasoning is simple. Most of the batters in the lineup prefer hitting spin over pace. You have Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, and Axar Patel, who can bash the turners left and right; do you really need Dube? Being a lefty can be handy, but in Dube’s case, who’s fighting for a spot against Rinku, it doesn’t factor at all.
Khaleel Ahmed, only bowler to sit out
Gautam Gambhir and Suryakumar Yadav have decided to take just four bowlers for the T20I series. Ravi Bishnoi will surely play as the lone wrist spinner in the 15-member squad. He was great in the recently concluded Zimbabwe T20I series, and in Kuldeep Yadav’s absence, he will take over the role.
Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Siraj will also play as the senior bowlers. Khaleel Ahmed, the other left-arm pacer, can’t make Arshdeep sit out. The pacer from Punjab was the highest wicket-taker in the tournament and is also being considered for the Test side due to his performance.
Predicted India Playing XI vs Sri Lanka for 1st T20I
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill (vc), Rishabh Pant (wk), Suryakumar Yadav (c), Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj.
