Picture : Twitter/ BCCI
Two-format skipper Rohit Sharma and the peerless Virat Kohli are unlikely to feature anytime soon in the Indian T20 team as they were once again left out of the 15-member squad led by Hardik Pandya that will take on the West Indies in a five-match series, starting August 3.
The side led by Hardik has a youthful look to it with the only player above 30 being world No.1 batter and team’s vice-captain Suryakumar Yadav.
India’s T20I squad: Ishan Kishan (wk), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Surya Kumar Yadav (VC), Sanju Samson (wk), Hardik Pandya (C), Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar.
— BCCI (@BCCI) July 5, 2023
The only new face in the team is Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians left-hander Tilak Varma, who had made a strong case for himself during the past two IPL seasons batting in the middle-order and donning the role of a finisher with a strike-rate of 142-plus in 47 IPL and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy games.
Arshdeep Singh will lead with pace attack along with Avesh Khan, Umran Malik, Mukesh Kumar . Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson are two wicket- keeping options. The spin options are – Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi
