Dravid has to make the following changes to accommodate Rohit and Kohli in T20Is: six India XIs, many options vs Afghanistan

India’s penultimate and last assignment before the T20 World Cup in June will begin in a day. After defeating Australia 4-1 in November, shortly after the ODI World Cup final, and holding South Africa to a 1-1 draw away from home, the team management ought to have been expected to have a better idea of their starting lineup going into the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan, which begins on January 11 in Mohali. However, rather than answering the lingering doubts before the ICC event in the USA and the West Indies, the return of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to the T20I fold has raised more. Since Sunday’s significant revelation, the selectors have essentially confirmed the two World Cup veterans who will be a given for the starting XI because they are returning to the format after a 14-month break.

What changes, though, would head coach Rahul Dravid make to accommodate Rohit and Kohli?

Unfortunately, that’s just the way sports work. In T20 cricket, Jaiswal and Gill have both had incredible 20223 seasons. This year, the latter, making his debut in the international format, amassed 312 runs with a strike rate of 145.11 in 13 innings, including a magnificent century. He also scored 890 runs in the Indian Premier League with the Gujarat Titans, including three hundreds and four fifties. Nonetheless, with 625 runs in 14 matches, including a century and five half-centuries, the younger player finished the previous IPL season as the fifth-highest run scorer. Subsequently, he amassed 430 runs in 14 innings in Twenty20 Internationals for India, including a century off 49 balls during the Asian Games.

Will Rinku Singh be left behind?

Not just now, anyhow. With Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav out due to injury, Rinku will have one last opportunity to establish himself in the India T20I XI. Including the Asian Games run, the left-hander has played 18 matches for India so far, scoring 262 runs at a strike rate of 180.68 with a boundary per 3.6 deliveries. But his choice may mean that India would have one fewer bowler.

In the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan, the following players are likely to start for India: Rohit, Gill/Jaiswal, Kohli, Tilak, Rinku, Jitesh/Samson, Dube, Axar, Kuldeep, Arshdeep, and Avesh.

The following people: Rohit, Kohli, Tilak, Dube, Jitesh/Samson. Sundar, Axar, Kuldeep, Arshdeep, Avesh, Gill/Jaiswal,

Rohit, Kohli, Tilak, Dube , Axar, Kuldeep, Arshdeep, Avesh, Mukesh, Gill/Jaiswal,  Jitesh/Samson.

The following people: Rohit, Kohli, Tilak, Rinku, Jitesh/Samson, Axar, Kuldeep, Arshdeep, Avesh, Mukesh, Gill/Jaiswal, 

 Rohit, Axar, Kuldeep, Arshdeep, Avesh, Mukesh, Riku, Gill/Jaiswal , Kohli, Samson, and Dube.