T20I Series Against Australia: Fresh faces get a chance, Suryakumar Yadav to lead

Suryakumar Yadav has been made the captain of the Indian cricket team for the upcoming five-match T20I series against Australia, commencing on November 23, 2023, in Visakhapatnam. The squad presents a fresh look, as several key players from the Cricket World Cup team have been rested. Ruturaj Gaikwad will serve as the vice-captain for the series against the recently crowned ODI champions.

Only three players from ODI Cricket World Cup 2023 squad included

Only three players from the ODI Cricket World Cup 2023 squad – Prasidh Krishna, Ishan Kishan, and Suryakumar Yadav himself – have been included in the T20I squad. Shreyas Iyer is set to join the team for the final two T20Is in Raipur and Bengaluru, taking over the vice-captaincy from Gaikwad.

The second T20I will be hosted in Thiruvananthapuram, while Guwahati will be the venue for the third T20I. 

Hardik Pandya will miss out

Notably, Hardik Pandya, India's star all-rounder and T20I captain in various series this year, will miss out due to an ankle injury sustained during a Cricket World Cup league stage match against Bangladesh. Sanju Samson has not been included in the squad.

Selected squad features promising talents

The selected squad features promising talents such as Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, and Rinku Singh, whose performances will be closely monitored as India enters a phase of providing opportunities to emerging players, with an eye on the 2024 T20 World Cup.

Bowlers like Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar, and Ravi Bishnoi, all possessing significant T20 experience, have been included. The all-rounders in the squad are Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, and Shivam Dubey, with Jitesh Sharma as the backup wicketkeeper.

These chosen players have showcased their skills in the Indian Premier League, and with the BCCI selectors favoring a younger cohort in the T20I format, the selected squad members aim to secure their positions for an extended period, with the impending T20 World Cup in 2024 in focus.

India's T20I squad 

Suryakumar Yadav (Captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad (Vice-Captain), Ishan Kishan, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Shivam Dubey, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar. Shreyas Iyer will join the squad as vice-captain for the last two T20Is in Raipur and Bengaluru.