The Indian team will be looking to get back to winning ways when it takes on the West Indies on Sunday at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad in the first of the three ODIs. India suffered a 0-3 whitewash in South Africa in the ODI series. Regular ODI skipper Rohit Sharma will be back to lead the side as India enter a new era with Rohit and head coach Rahul Dravid at the helm. It will be interesting to see what kind of combination Rohit will go for, keeping a close eye on the 50-over Cricket World Cup in 2023 in India.
Here’s a look at the predicted final XI for Team India in 1st ODI:
Rohit Sharma: A full-fledged three-match ODI series will help Rohit get into the grove as skipper of the limited-overs side and also test his batting abilities simultaneously.
KL Rahul: With Dhawan missing out due to Covid, KL Rahul can again be seen at the opener’s slot as the right-hander will be a crucial member in the team management’s upcoming plans.
Virat Kohli: A different Kohli could be expected as he takes over the role of only a batter in the side. However, Kohli’s insights will come in handy in pressure situations for Rohit but what India really wants from Kohli is his century-scoring form back. Kohli scored 116 runs in three ODIs in South Africa.
Suryakumar Yadav: After a decent start to his international career, Suryakumar is a part of the limited-overs set up for the time being.
Rishabh Pant:Pant showed glimpses of form in South Africa as he ended up scoring 101 runs in three matches at an average of 33.66.
Deepak Hooda: Deepak Hooda could make his much-awaited ODI debut in the first match. The all-rounder has performed brilliantly in domestic cricket, and would also like to test his skills in international cricket. Apart from his batting prowess, Hooda can also contribute with the ball as well.
Deepak Chahar: Deepak Chahar impressed everyone not only with the ball but also with the bat as he ended up scoring an ODI half-century in South Africa.
Shardul Thakur:Currently, Shardul can easily be considered as India’s best all-round option. Shardul’s consistent form with the bat and the ball has provided balance to the team.
Yuzvendra Chahal:Chahal will be eager to prove his worth again after being sidelined for a while due to form and injury.
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Kuldeep Yadav:The return of Kuldeep only strengthens India’s spin bowling options as the left-arm bowler is expected to complement Chahal and look for wickets in the middle-overs, which seemed to be lacking in South Africa.
Mohammed Siraj: Siraj will be tested in the dry conditions in Ahmedabad as the ball isn’t expected to do much in the air as well off the deck.
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