Hyderabad: The likes of K L Rahul and Rishabh Pant will be aiming to cement their places in the squad as India take on the West Indies in a three-match Twenty20 International (T20I) series, starting here on Friday.
India will continue their preparations for the T20 World Cup in Australia and many players, whose places are not yet secure, will try to impress the team management and selectors with their performances against the West Indies.
One such name is Rahul.
In the absence of injured opener Shikhar Dhawan, the series will provide the stylish right-handed batsman, who holds a good record in T20s, a good opportunity to secure his place as Rohit Sharma's partner at the top of the order.
In 31 T20 Internationals, Rahul has amassed 974 runs at an average of 42.74 with 110 not out being his highest score. He is also a prolific scorer in the IPL.
Besides Rahul, another individual who would like to answer his critics with solid performances is Pant.
Pant has, of late, come under the scanner for his inconsistent form both with the bat and glove.
He has been seen as the successor to Mahendra Singh Dhoni, but after the conclusion of the ICC World Cup earlier this year, Pant has endured a slump in form and was heavily criticised for throwing his wicket away on multiple occasions.
Even his glovework came under heavy scrutiny and the left-hander was dropped in the longest format of the game and Wriddhiman Saha regained his place in the playing XI.
With the selectors bringing in the talented Sanju Samson in the squad and talks of Dhoni coming out of his sabbatical soon, it's high time Pant performed.
The series is also huge for Sanju. Although he was named in the T20I squad against Bangladesh, the Kerala 'keeper-batsman didn't get a single opportunity in the series and was only picked for this series after Dhawan sustained a knee injury while playing for Delhi in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
It is certain that Pant will be the first choice wicketkeeper but in case he fails again, it remains to be seen whether the team management gives Sanju an opportunity, which he certainly deserves.
The good news for India is that Virat Kohli will return to lead the side after taking a break in the T20I series against Bangladesh.
On the bowling front, there are several notable comebacks with the likes of Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar returning to the T20 set-up.
The duo of Kuldeep and Chahal will reunite after a long time. Kuldeep last featured in the shortest format in February, 2019, against New Zealand.
The Indian pace attack looks menacing with the return of Bhuvneshwar and Shami.
Shami last appeared in a T20I in 2017, while Bhuvneshwar returns to the squad after recovering from a muscle problem. Bhuvneshwar's last T20I was against the West Indies in the Caribbean in August this year.
The hero of the Bangladesh series, Deepak Chahar, is also expected to play a big role alongside Shami and Bhuvneshwar in the pace department.
West Indies, on the other hand, would be looking for revenge after being dismantled by India 3-0 in their own backyard.
West Indies are considered a very good T20 side and what would act in their favour is that they have already acclimatised to the conditions, having played Afghanistan in a full series in Lucknow.
Having been entrusted with the captaincy, Kieron Pollard will look to lead from the front.
With Nicholas Pooran ruled out of the opener because of a four-match ban for ball-tampering, the onus would be on Shai Hope and Shimron Hetmyer to guide West Indies batting line-up.
Besides, the Indians would also be wary of Roston Chase, who can make useful contributions with both bat and ball.
Keeping in mind the T20 World Cup, the West Indies are also trying out various combinations and have drafted in quite a few new faces in the team.
The visitors have opted for the young Brandon King, Khary Pierre, Sherfane Rutherford, Keserick Williams and Hayden Walsh Jr over experienced players like Carlos Brathwaite, Andre Russell and Dwayne Bravo.
The teams (from): India: Virat Kohli (capt), Rohit Sharma, K L Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant, Manish Pandey, Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Deepak Chahar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami.
West Indies: Kieron Pollard (capt), Fabian Allen, Brandon King, Denesh Ramdin, Sheldon Cottrell, Evin Lewis, Sherfane Rutherford, Shimron Hetmyer, Khary Pierre, Lendl Simmons, Jason Holder, Hayden Walsh Jr, Keemo Paul, Kesrick Williams.
Match starts at 7 pm IST
