Fomrer India's cricketer and the ex-batting coach of the Men in Blue Sanjay Bangar wants Manayk Agarwal to open alongside Shikhar Dhawan in the second T20I game against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Sunday.
India won the opener in Canberra on Friday by 11 runs and will be looking to win the T20I series with a win in Sydney.
Bangar feels that one area that India might opt to change in the playing XI heading into the second T20I is the opening pair.
"It's going to be a toss-up right because Rohit Sharma, unfortunately, isn't available for the team, so I believe they will have to go with Mayank Agarwal and Shikhar Dhawan. Shikhar Dhawan is going to be a consistent factor, but whether they opt to go with KL Rahul, who has again been in fabulous touch, is something that needs to be seen," Bangar said on the show Gameplan on Star Sports.
India have not lost a T20I game this year and are presnetly on a nine-match winning streak starting December 2019 in Mumbai against West Indies.
"KL Rahul has done great service to the Indian team in the recent past when he’s batted at No. 5, but I believe that Mayank Agarwal may just open with Shikhar Dhawan," Bangar added.
India will be bound to make changes to their XI as Ravindra Jadeja has been ruled out of thye last two T20Is with a concussion and Shardul Thakur has been added to the squad as his replacement.