IND vs SL: With likely a day and some more left for Gautam Gambhir’s first major international breakout series as team India’s head coach, there remain some likely changes that Gambhir is set to make in the first T20s.
Though Gambhir has not kept many choices in the opening batters, as he has only included Yashasvi Jaiswal and vice captain Shubman Gill as openers. With the likes of Abhishek Sharma and Ruturaj Gaikwad not being picked, there remains no contention for the opening spots.
Moreover, after the return of India’s lead wicketkeeper, Batsman, Rishabh Pant, and new Indian skipper, Suryakumar Yadav, the middle order is likely to be set. Also, with Hardik Pandya back into the side since the T20 World Cup, he will be the probable no. 5.
But what about the No. 6 position? This has been an issue for the Indian side as several experiments have failed in the position. However, Gambhir has come up with 4 likely options who can be featured at no. 6 for India in T20s.
Two of the main contenders for the position would be Rinku Singh and Shivam Dube. Rinku performed overwhelmingly well, and he did nothing wrong to be excluded from the T20I World Cup squad, but he was. Rinku, who did not have a very good season with KKR, was again included in the T20I squad, and he is more proficient in the batting department as compared to his biggest contender, Shivam Dube.
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Dube was a part of India’s T20 World Cup-winning squad in the United States, and though he was not a major contributor in the tournament, he has been retained by Team India in the format to feature further with the Men in Blue. The dynamic all-rounder is mostly considered a big-hitting batsman, and if his bowling does not promote him further, then Rinku is likely to be chosen over the CSK finisher.
Also after veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja retired from international T20s after India’s World Cup triumph, India might again look to feature two spin-bowling all-rounders and likely another spinner in the form of Ravi Bishnoi.
With his dominance with both the bat and ball, Axar Patel will remain one of the most assured players in the shortest format, as he is known for his batting prowess, as he can often be promoted up the order, either to secure wickets or to enhance the flow of runs. With such a capable all-rounder by their side, India and Gambhir would also like to feature the man of the series from the Zimbabwe tour, Washington Sundar.
The youngster has been a part of India for a long time now, especially since he has excelled in the shortest format of the game. The quality off-spinner, alongside his great batting consistency, would be the most likely player to step in the shoes of Sir Jadeja.
Overall, the Lankan tour would be seen as Gambhir’s first major breakthrough series, and hence this is the beginning of the Gambhir era, which will be foreseen for several remarkable changes with a title defense in sight for the T20 World Cup 2026.