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India and Bangladesh are all set to lock horns in three T20Is, with the opening game scheduled for Sunday, October 6, in Gwalior. The venue will host an international fixture for the first time, while the city will for the first time in 14 years.
Suryakumar Yadav, who will lead the Men in Blue against the Bangla Tigers, has a second-string squad at his disposal. That doesn't indicate a lack of talent, with India having plenty of exciting names and fresh faces who could feature. On the eve of the series, Tilak Varma was announced as a replacement for the injured Shivam Dube.
India’s squad for the 3 T20Is against Bangladesh: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Riyan Parag, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Tilak Varma, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Mayank Yadav.
On that note, here is India's predicted playing XI for the first T20I against Bangladesh.
Openers: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk)
Suryakumar confirmed in a pre-match press conference that Sanju Samson will open the batting alongside Abhishek Sharma. It was fairly obvious even otherwise, with India picking only two openers in the entire squad. The duo will want to make their value to the side known in the absence of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill.
Middle order: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Riyan Parag, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh
Captain Suryakumar is likely to bat at No. 3 and will be followed by Riyan Parag, who has enjoyed promising outings against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. Parag's position at No. 4 isn't guaranteed, but that is the role he has succeeded at in the Indian Premier League.
With Dube being ruled out, Tilak is unlikely to slot in for him immediately. Nitish Kumar Reddy could thus be in line to make his international debut in Gwalior, potentially batting at No. 5. The young pace-bowling all-rounder will be partnered by his senior teammate Hardik Pandya in the middle order.
Rinku Singh will take up finishing duties, with Jitesh Sharma being unlikely to feature at this point.
Lower order: Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Mayank Yadav, Arshdeep Singh
India already have two decent part-time options in Abhishek Sharma and Riyan Parag, so it will be interesting to see how Washington Sundar fits in. But the young all-rounder has been in impressive form lately, including a Player of the Series award against Zimbabwe. So he could be trusted to start the rubber.
Varun Chakaravarthy is a serious contender to play his first T20I since 2021, but if India follow their pecking order philosophy, Ravi Bishnoi could be preferred instead as the primary spinner.
With Hardik and Nitish in the XI, India should have enough pace-bowling resources if they pick two specialists. Arshdeep Singh is a straightforward pick, while the Men in Blue will have to choose between Harshit Rana and Mayank Yadav.
While Rana has been in and around the squad longer, Yadav is an exciting option who can be unleashed early. This is a touch-and-go choice, with the express quick perhaps having a slight edge.
