However on the eve of the first T20 International, skipper Virat Kohli made it clear that his deputy Rohit Sharma and the flamboyant KL Rahul will be the settled first choice opening combination going into the World T20 with Shikhar Dhawan being in the reserves.
The five-match T20I series will begin from March 12 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. All the five games will be played at the same venue.
Former selector Sarandeep Singh has predicted India's Playing XI ahead of the T20I series opener in Ahmedabad. After defeating England in the four-match Test series 3-1 and qualifying for the World Test Championship against New Zealand, India will now shift their focus from the longest format to the shortest format. Virat Kohli-led Indian side would have to field a Playing XI without its lead bowler Jasprit Bumrah; but additions like Suryakumar, Ishan Kishan and Rahul Tewatia will boost the hosts' batting line-up.
Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul will open India's innings in the first T20I against England at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Friday with Shikhar Dhawan starting on the bench as a reserve opener, confirmed India skipper Virat Kohli.
With Rohit Sharma coming in as opener, the Indian team will have to make a choice between Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul at the top. The Indian squad also has the Mumbai Indians duo of Ishan Kishen and Suryakumar Yadav to bolster the middle-order along with an in-form Rishabh Pant.
India vice-captain Rohit Sharma expects Hardik Pandya and Rishabh to contribute substantially in the T20 series, and also answered the question about his opening partner when India face England in the first match on March 12.
Anjum Chopra, former captain of India women's cricket team, feels that the hosts will secure a 3-2 win against England in the five-match T20I series starting from Friday. India have included some fresh names in their T20I squad as Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan and Rahul Tewatia earned national call-ups.
Varun Chakravarthy’s failure to clear fitness tests has ruled him out of the series while Natarajan is racing to be match-ready, making him doubtful for the early part of India’s five-match T20 series against England.
Virat Kohli is currently the highest run-scorer in the T20 international format at 2928 runs in 85 matches and scoring a further 72 runs will make him the first batsman to score 3000 runs in the shortest format of the game.
Indian captain Virat Kohli and vice-captain Rohit Sharma are among the top run-getters in T20Is. While Kohli remains only 72 runs shy of 3000-mark, Rohit is closely following him with 2773 runs in T20Is.
Skipper Prithvi Shaw blazed his way to an unbeaten 185 off just 123 balls as Mumbai stormed into the semi-finals of the Vijay Hazare Trophy with a crushing nine-wicket win over Saurashtra in the fourth quarter-final
The BCCI released the IPL schedule earlier today, with Mumbai Indians meeting Royal Challengers Bangalore in the opening game on April 9.
Veteran Jhulan Goswami's four-wicket haul was beautifully complemented by Smriti Mandhana's sparkling 80 not out as Indian women outplayed South Africa by nine wickets in the second ODI to level the five-match series 1-1
Former India skipper Sachin Tendulkar, who is currently in Raipur with India Legends for the Road Safety World Series, played a prank on the medical staff during his routine Covid-19 test. The legendary batsman pretended to be in pain while the medical personnel took his nasal swab sample.
After clinching the Test series 3-1 and qualifying for the World Test Championship (WTC) final against New Zealand, Team India's focus now shifts towards the five-game T20I series against England, scheduled to start from Friday at the newly renamed Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The likes of Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav and Rishabh Pant were spotted training in nets ahead of the first T20I.
Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju, during 'Fit India Walkathon' in Delhi on March 08, urged countrymen to not believe in rumours and assured that the Olympics are on track and dates are finalised.
For Shastri, Washington's innings of 96, coming in at 153 for 6 was a better effort than his 85 not out in Chennai.
Ashwin has now won eight Man-of-the-Series awards in his 10-year career and is only eight wickets short of equalling Harbhajan Singh's 417 Test wickets.
India trounced England by an innings and 25 runs on the third day of the fourth Test to complete a 3-1 series victory on Saturday, securing their place in June's World Test Championships final against New Zealand.
With the comprehensive victory, India sealed their spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final against New Zealand.
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