West Indies vs India, 1st T20I Predicted Playing XIs: Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant return for series

India and West Indies have got an opportunity to fine tune their preparations for the T20 World Cup later this year as the sides gear up for the five-match series, beginning Friday (July 29).

India captain Rohit Sharma will be back to lead the team after taking a break from the ODI leg against West Indies. Along with him, the likes of Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant will pose as a major threat to the Caribbean side.

The absence of Virat Kohli, who has been rested for the entire tour of West Indies, will pave the way for Shreyas Iyer to get some more opportunities in the line-up. Moreover, with senior fast bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, also on a break, Harshal Patel and Avesh Khan could potentially rally around Bhuvneshwar Kumar and senior off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.

On the other hand, West Indies, who played two thrilling ODIs and a forgettable third game against India, would look to rectify their mistakes in the T20I series. While Jason Holder is expected to stablise the batting unit in the middle overs, Shimron Hetmyer could potentially pose a threat in the death overs as a finisher.

Predicted Playing XIs:

India: Rohit Sharma (c), Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ravichandran Ashwin, Avesh Khan, Harshal Patel.

West Indies: Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Nicholas Pooran (c), Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Romario Shepherd, Obed McCoy, Akeal Hosein, Rovman Powell, Hayden Walsh Jr, Odean Smith.

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