Team India will take on New Zealand at Southampton in the finals of the World Test Championship. It will be an important game as this will decide the best Test Team on the planet.
On the other hand, around the same time, Team India could also be part of the Asia Cup. However, with preparations for the WTC final to be full-throttle, it is unlikely that the members of the Test Team will take part in the T20 competition.
Hence, there is a possibility that BCCI could send a second-string squad for the tournament. If that happens, it will be interesting to see who takes the field for India in the absence of heavyweights such as Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah.
Openers: KL Rahul (C) and Shikhar Dhawan
It is going to be just one game, and Mayank Agarwal could be the reserve opener. That would make KL Rahul available. In fact, he can also be made the captain of the team. He might also don the gloves for the sake of the team’s balance.
Experienced opener Shikhar Dhawan would partner KLR at the top. Dhawan’s responsibility would increase in this scenario. It would be a great opportunity for Dhawan to also stamp his authority in the squad.
Middle-Order: Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey and Suryakumar Yadav and Sanju Samson (WK)
Team India might go for the middle-order of Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey and Suryakumar Yadav. While Shreyas and Manish have the experience of playing for India, SKY is a mature cricketer and can take responsibility. Team India could also use the chance to audition for the T20 World Cup through the Asia Cup. Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson could be the backups in this department. Sanju Samson could get a good chance to establish himself in the Indian Team. He has the potential but just needs the mindset to find consistent form.
All-Rounders: Washington Sundar
Spin on subcontinent pitches will be useful. Washington Sundar may not make the cut to travel to England. Ravindra Jadeja will be the preferred option, and Axar Patel will be his backup. If Washi plays in this series, he could bat at No.6. This can help him showcase his batting skills in the T20 format.
Bowlers: Shardul Thakur, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal and T Natarajan
The bowling attack will be pretty strong for Team India. Bhuvneshwar Kumar could lead the bowling line-up in the absence of Bumrah. Bhuvi has done this job before and will be crucial for Team India’s plans.
While T Natarajan will be a sure addition, Shardul Thakur will also be part of the bowling unit. Yuzvendra Chahal would be the obvious choice in the spin-bowling department. Backups for this unit could be Navdeep Saini, Rahul Chahar, Varun CV and Deepak Chahar.
