India vs West Indies: India’s predicted XI for 2nd T20 International - Tricky call for Rohit Sharma
India vs West Indies 2nd T20: With the second T20 International to be played in Lucknow on Tuesday, we try to predict India’s playing XI for the blockbuster clash
India will look to seal the deal when they take on West Indies in the second of the three-match T20I encounter in Lucknow on Tuesday. India’s four-match T20I losing streak against the West Indies ended on Sunday in Kolkata as the hosts won by five wickets thanks to brilliant performances by Dinesh Karthik, Krunal Pandya and Kuldeep Yadav. Thanks to the victory, India managed to better their head-to-head record against the reigning world T20 champions to 5-3 now from nine exchanges between 2009 and 2017.
However, the victory was not without its challenges as Umesh Yadav failed to perform with the ball and most top-order batsmen were unable to score big despite some getting starts. As a result, it will be interesting to see if skipper Rohit Sharma sticks with the winning combination or tinkers with personnel.
With the 2nd T20I to be played in Lucknow on Tuesday, we try to predict India’s playing XI –
Rohit Sharma
The stand-in skipper did not have a good outing in Kolkata but he will be looking to bounce back with a solid knock in the 2nd T20I. In the recently-concluded ODI series, Rohit Sharma slammed two centuries and one fifty and he will once again take his position at the top and will look to lead the team by example.
Shikhar Dhawan
The team management are expected to stick with Shikhar Dhawan in spite of the left-hander’s disappointing run of form. Dhawan forms a lethal partnership with Rohit at the top for India and he is currently within touching distance of becoming only the sixth Indian batsman to cross the 1000-run mark in T20Is.
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KL Rahul
With Virat Kohli not taking part in the ongoing series, the onus will once again fall on KL Rahul to play a major role. Rahul has tasted the majority of his success in the shortest format recently and after a disappointing outing in the first encounter, he will certainly look to perform at his best in Lucknow.
Manish Pandey
With the Indian top-order batsmen struggling to score big in the first T20, a lot will be expected from Manish Pandey who is considered to be somewhat of a specialist in the shortest format of the sport. What tips the scale in favour of Pandey is that apart from being a good batsman, he is an excellent fielder as well.
Rishabh Pant
With MS Dhoni rested for the series, there is no doubt that Pant will be a part of the playing XI on Tuesday as India will be looking to test their other wicketkeeping options. However, what remains to be seen is whether Pant will be playing as the keeper or he will be included once again as a batsman.
Dinesh Karthik
Karthik was the star for India in the first T20 and he is expected to retain his position ahead of the second T20I encounter. The 33-year old took three catches behind the stumps and then made 31 off 34 balls to guide the hosts to victory. However, he can be included just as a batsman if the team management decides to give Pant a chance to keep wickets.
Krunal Pandya
With no Hardik Pandya in the squad to balance the line-up for India, brother Krunal Pandya will be expected to do that job for the team.Pandya was quite economical while bowling as he conceded just 15 runs and took the wicket of Mumbai Indians teammate Kieron Pollard. Later, he joined Dinesh Karthik during the chase and played a whirlwind innings of 21 off just 9 balls as the hosts registered a five-wicket win.
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Jasprit Bumrah
Jasprit Bumrah will once again be the strike bowler for India as he remains their best bowler in the limited-over formats. Bumrah is only six wickets away from becoming the second Indian after Ravichandran Ashwin to take 50 T20I wickets.
Khaleel Ahmed
Khaleel Ahmed had a brilliant outing in the recently-concluded ODI series where he ended as the third-highest wicket-taker. It was not much different in the first T20I in Kolkata as he bothered the batsmen with his variations and he will surely be an asset for the hosts as they look to seal the series in Lucknow.
Kuldeep Yadav
Kuldeep Yadav proved his mettle once again when he took three wickets to dismantle the West Indies batting line-up during the first T20I in Kolkata. With 100 wickets under his belt, Kuldeep will be hungry for more and he will be looking to repeat his performance when the hosts take the field on Tuesday.
Umesh Yadav
Although Umesh Yadav did go for a few runs in his four overs, it is unlikely that the Indian team management will tinker with the winning combination and it can be expected that he will share the new ball with Jasprit Bumrah.