West Indies vs India, T20Is: Players to watch out for
West Indies host India for three T20Is starting August 3 in Florida, USA. With the World T20 to be held next year, the planning needs to start from this series itself. India have a platform to try out new faces and see how things shape up. There are several players who can create an impact. Here are some key players to watch out for.
India's squad for the three-match T20I series
Virat Kohli (captain), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Krunal Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Rahul Chahar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, Deepak Chahar and Navdeep Saini.
Rishabh Pant needs to justify his talent
This is a special phase for Rishabh Pant, who will get to be the wicket-keeper across all the three formats. Pant has already established himself in Tests and now he has the chance to excel in white-ball cricket. One will hope to see him play as per the situation of the match and show some maturity. He needs to justify his talent.
Big moment for Shreyas Iyer to take up a slot
With a spot in the middle-order available, it is a big moment for Shreyas Iyer. The right-handed batsman has been included in both T20Is and ODIs. Iyer has the pedigree to shine and deliver consistent performance. If he can nail down the middle-order slot, then India will have one box ticked leading to the WT20. Iyer cannot let this moment pass.
Khaleel, Chahar and Saini will look to be in contention
Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar are assured candidates to make the cut in the WT20 squad. But there are at least two other slots to be filled. This is where IPL12 performers like Khaleel Ahmed, Deepak Chahar and Navdeep Saini come in. Khaleel has been performing since a while now and is a wicket-taking bowler. Saini and Chahar can present their cases as well.
Ravindra Jadeja has the opportunity to remain all-format player
Pandya brothers Hardik and Krunal are strong names to feature in the WT20 as all-rounders. Joining them could be Ravindra Jadeja. The left-arm spinner has made a return to the T20I squad and features in all three formats against West Indies. His excellence on the field is something Team India can count upon. Some strong shows could guarantee him a berth.