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India’s five-match T20I series against world champion
Australia begins on Thursday in Visakhapatnam. Following their heartbreaking
loss to Australia in the ODI World Cup, the young players will have a big task
ahead of them to uplift the nation’s spirits. Since Suryakumar Yadav is the
only member of India’s World Cup final XI remaining, all eyes will be on him in
the absence of senior pros Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and KL Rahul.
Ruturaj Gaikwad will serve as SKY’s deputy and SKY,
who is regarded as a significant asset in the shorter format, will command the
unit. The right-hander’s maiden assignment as an India captain will be this
one. In domestic cricket, he has led Mumbai, but not in the IPL. Another key
component of India’s World Cup team, Shreyas Iyer, will skipper the side for
the final two Twenty20 Internationals. India rested most of their first-choice
XI in preparation for a white-ball series against South Africa that begins in
Durban on December 10.
Shubman Gill and Rohit are both out, hence Ishan
Kishan will probably start in the opening position and be paired with Gaikwad.
Gaikwad will compete after taking home a gold medal in the same event at the
Asian Games, whereas Ishan was a member of the Indian World Cup team.
Yashasvi Jaiswal, the gifted and explosive opening
batsman, may have to miss the first few games of this Twenty20 International
series as a result of this. With century in both Test and Twenty20
Internationals, Jaiswal’s international career is off to a great start.
The middle-order will be led by Suryakumar and Tilak
Varma, whose expectations have increased since his India debut following a
strong IPL. All-rounder Shivam Dube and Rinku Singh, who both rose through the
ranks following an incredible IPL, will be crucial in the same area.
They both have a reputation for hitting the ball hard,
and as the innings are coming to a finish, the management will look to them for
quick runs.
Arshdeep Singh can be seen leading the pace department
along with Prasidh Krishna, who has been with the team in the recent series. He
was also a part of the World Cup squad as a replacement for Hardik Pandya.
Mukesh Kumar and Avesh Khan will fight for a spot in the XI as the third
seamer.
If India feel they need an extra spinner, then
Washington Sundar can also come into the fray in place of Shivam Dube.