T20 World Cup 2021: Strongest India Predicted Playing XI against Namibia

Team India will have nothing but pride to play for as they take on Namibia in the last league-stage game of the T20 World Cup 2021. The encounter takes place at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Monday (November 8). With New Zealand defeating Afghanistan by eight wickets in their last group-stage game, the Virat Kohli-led side is officially knocked out of the semi-final race.

Nevertheless, the Men in Blue would like to end their campaign on a winning note. If one has to dissect India’s campaign, they started off terribly – suffering humiliating defeats and Pakistan and New Zealand. However, comprehensive wins against Afghanistan and Scotland kept their outside chances alive.

Those victories, however, are set to go in vain as India won’t go through. Although Virat Kohli’s men have nothing to lose in the upcoming game, a defeat against Nambia would be last thing they need.

Meanwhile, here’s the predicted Playing XI of India for T20 World Cup 2021 Match 42:

Openers – Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul

Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul have been phenomenal in the last two games and hence, India won’t tinker the opening combination. Both batters have done well in powerplay overs in the last couple of games and the same took India to emphatic wins. In fact, Rahul slammed an 18-fifty in the last game against Scotland, the joint-fastest of the competition.

While this combination is a certainty, India might ponder giving Ishan Kishan another chance at the top. The southpaw got to open against New Zealand but he couldn’t make his bat talk. With the game against Namibia being a dead rubber, the team management may consider giving Kishan another chance. However, most probably it would be Rohit and Rahul at the top.

Middle-Order – Virat Kohli (C), Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (WK)

With the top order doing all the work in the last couple of games, the middle-order hasn’t been required to do much. However, if the order is concerned, Virat Kohli, standing in his last game as India’s T20I captain, would come out at number three. He slammed a fighting fifty against Pakistan in the opening clash. He’ll be followed by Suryakumar Yadav who slammed the winning six against Scotland.

Rishabh Pant, who has played a couple of brilliant cameos in the competition, is next in the line-up. The southpaw will also don the gloves and would be determined to make a mark.

All-rounders: Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja

All the hullaballoo over Hardik Pandya’s place in the playing XI seems to have gotten over. The all-rounder played a brilliant cameo against Afghanistan and also contributed with the ball in the last couple of matches. Like other Indian players, the explosive all-rounder would also like to do well.

As far as Ravindra Jadeja is concerned, the all-rounder has been enjoying a purple patch since a while. In the outing against Scotland, the left-arm spinner recorded a career-best 3/15. Not to forget, he can shine with the bat as well.

Bowlers: Varun Chakaravarthy/ Rahul Chahar, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah

There can be a change in the bowling attack as well. With Varun Chakaravarthy going wicketless in the previous three games, Rahul Chahar can replace him in the line-up. As far as the other bowlers are concerned, India don’t have anything to worry about. Ashwin has bowled exceptionally well in his comeback in white-ball cricket.

India’s highest wicket-taker in the T20I format, Jasprit Bumrah has been at his lethal best in the competition and Namibian batters must beware of him. His partner-in-crime Mohammed Shami has taken three-fers in his last two outings and he won’t mind replicating his heroics again.

India’s Probable Playing XI for Namibia clash: Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli (c), Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah