IND vs IRE T20I Series 2023: India's predicted XI against Ireland for 1st T20I

After an embarrassing series defeat at the hands of West Indies, Team India will now challenge Ireland, as the likes of Jaspirt Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna are all set to make their return to international cricket. Their progress and form will be closely monitored as both of these cricketers are currently in the scheme of things for the upcoming ODI World Cup.

On the other hand, the majority of these players will be travelling to China for the upcoming Asian Games and hence, the goal will be to build a strong squad in order to challenge for the title. Rinku Singh meanwhile is expected to earn his debut cap while Shivam Dube can prove to be the X factor after the latter had a terrific time in the 16th edition of the Indian Premier League. So, how will India line up in the T20I series against Ireland? Let’s take a look:

Here’s India’s predicted XI for the 1st T20I against Ireland:

Openers – Ruturaj Gaikwad, Yashasvi Jaiswal

Ruturaj Gaikwad will be leading India in the Asian Games and hence, he will be extremely important for the team going forward. The cricketer is in India’s scheme of things for a long time now but hasn’t been able to prove himself on the international stage. He has had multiple memorable moments in IPL but it’s time for him to show his class in international cricket and seal his spot in India’s T20I side.

Youngster Yashasvi Jaiswal had a memorable debut series in the West Indies. He will be aiming to repeat the same and remain in India’s scheme of things for the upcoming ODI World Cup. The southpaw recently played a match-winning knock in the fourth T20I against the Caribbeans and hence, he will back himself to repeat the same.

Middle order - Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson (wk)

Just like Jaiswal, Tilak Varma was sensational in his debut series against West Indies. He became the second Indian cricketer after Suryakumar Yadav to hit three consecutive 30+ scores on his debut and that only shows his calibre as a batter. The 20-year-old was also effective with the ball in the fifth T20I but it is too early for him to get the tag of an all-rounder. However, if he keeps performing at this level, the Hyderabad-born cricketer has the ability to become an asset to Indian cricket.

Rinku Singh was a force to reckon with in the IPL. Whatever he touched turned into gold but even so, Rinku failed to make it to the squad for the West Indies series. Thus, he will be gunning to prove himself against Ireland in order to establish himself as a dependable batter. He is known for his ferocious hitting and is also a terrific fielder.

Despite performing so well in the IPL and in domestic cricket, stumper-batter Sanju Samson has struggled to make a name for himself in international cricket. He had his fair share of opportunities in the series against West Indies but the Kerala-born cricketer couldn’t capitalize and that’s a worrying sign. Thus, the series against Ireland can very well prove to be his last chance to prove himself as Jitesh Sharma is one such player who can easily replace him in the playing XI.

All-rounders - Shivam Dube and Washington Sundar

After having a terrific time in the IPL, Shivam Dube was recalled to the Indian team, and now he has the opportunity to prove himself on the international stage and get into the scheme of things. The national team is looking for Hardik Pandya’s backup for a long time now, but couldn’t find a suitable replacement. Venkatesh Iyer was tried in between, but the experiment failed and hence, Dube’s progress will be monitored closely.

Washington Sundar’s form will be extremely vital. He is one such player that the team has a lot of faith in and wants to groom him as a three-format player. Other than bowling, his batting too can come in handy. The 23-year-old has represented India in 35 T20I matches so far, picking 29 wickets in the process.

Bowlers - Jasprit Bumrah (c), Prasidh Krishna, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh

Jasprit Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna’s return holds massive importance. Both these cricketers missed professional cricket for a long time and hence, their progress on return will be closely monitored, especially because both of them are on the radar to make it to India’s World Cup squad.

Ravi Bishnoi, on the other hand, was out of India’s scheme of things for a long time and is now all set to make his return. The 22-year-old has represented the national team in 11 T20Is, picking up 16 wickets in the process and now, with no Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal, he will have the tough job to keep Irish batters quiet in the middle overs.

Ace pacer Arshdeep Singh has a point to prove in the series against Ireland. With Bumrah, Krishna, Mukesh Kumar, Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami available for selection for the upcoming Asia Cup and ODI World Cup, Arshdeep is currently not in the scheme of things. Hence, he will be eager to show his worth in order to send a message to the selectors.

India’s probable XI - Ruturaj Gaikwad, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson (wk), Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah (c), Prasidh Krishna, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh