Captain Bumrah To Lead Pace Battery In Comeback; Jaiswal, Gaikwad To Open – India’s Predicted XI For 1st T20I Vs Ireland
All eyes will be on Jasprit Bumrah, who is set to make his Team India comeback in the upcoming Ireland T20I series, starting Friday.
In what will be a big boost for Rohit Sharma’s ODI World Cup plans, Bumrah will make his return by donning the captain role in the series. This is also going to be Bumrah’s second stint as India skipper, after he led them against England in the rescheduled fifth Test match at Edgbaston in 2022.
It’s not only Bumrah, who will be making a comeback in the squad. Prasidh Krishna, who has been out of action for almost a year due to a lumbar stress fracture, has also returned to the team roster. Meanwhile, senior players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli have been rested. Hardik Pandya and Shubman Gill will also be absent from the squad. After the Ireland series, India will be playing in the Asia Cup.
For the upcoming T20I in Malahide, Bumrah is expected to go with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad as the opening pair. Jaiswal has appeared for India in three T20Is, scoring 90 runs at an average of 45.0 and 157.89 strike rate. Meanwhile, he has also bagged a half-century. Also, in two Test matches, he has registered 266 runs at an average of 88.6 and 54.18 strike rate, packed with a ton and a half-century. Meanwhile, CSK star Gaikwad has played in nine T20Is, registering only 135 runs at an average of 16.88 and 123.85 strike rate. Meanwhile, in two ODIs, he has bagged only 27 runs at a strike rate of 48.21 and 13.5 average.
Tilak Varma will be expected to slot in at no. 3, followed by Sanju Samson in no. 4, who will also don the wicketkeeping gloves. All-rounder Shivam Dube could fill in at no. 5, followed by KKR star Rinku Singh, who hasn’t made his India debut yet. Wasington Sunday will fill in at no. 7 and the tailenders will consist of Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Ravi Bishnoi and Mukesh Kumar. Sundar and Dube are expected to be the all-rounders.
India’s playing XI vs Ireland in first T20I:
Openers: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad
Middle Order: Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, Rinku Singh
All-rounders: Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar
Bowlers: Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Mukesh Kumar