The team now captained by KL Rahul (Shikhar Dhawan was expected to head the squad) will be hoping to grab a lead in the One-Day International series.
On Thursday, at the Harare Sports Club, Team India will take on Zimbabwe in the opening one-day international of a three-game series. The team, now captained by KL Rahul instead of Shikhar Dhawan, will be trying to take a 1-0 lead in the ODI series in order to gain momentum heading into the 2018 Asia Cup. KL Rahul, who was initially left out of the squad after testing positive for COVID-19 and then suffering an injury, will be making his return for the Zimbabwe series. I’m curious to see if wicketkeeper/batsman Sanju Samson makes the cut for Team India.
To help you prepare for the first ODI, we’ve compiled our best guess for India’s starting XI.
KL Rahul, the Indian team’s best batter, has been out for a while. In the Playing XI, Rahul will undoubtedly be included because to his ability to form formidable opening partnerships and whack massive shots in the first few overs.
Shikhar Dhawan: Dhawan joins Rahul as the second member of India’s opening pair for the upcoming ODI. In the three one-day internationals played against the West Indies, the hitter hit 168 runs, with a top score of 97 runs off 99 balls.
The third ODI against the West Indies saw Shubman Gill score 98 runs, and he finished the series with 205 runs, thus he could be included in Team India’s Playing XI.
Deepak Hooda: The hitter can play of range of shots and provide Team India with a strong stand in the late overs, therefore Hooda should get a spot in the first ODI.
Even though he scored a half-century, Sanju Samson’s performance in the ODI series against the West Indies was only mediocre. It remains to be seen if he makes the cut for Team India or if Ishan Kishan will take his spot.
Shardul Thakur: Shardul is also a significant player who can make the starting lineup because of his all-around contribution to Team India’s success. Against the West Indies, he took seven wickets while maintaining a low scoring rate.
Axar Patel is a superb all-arounder for Team India, as he can bat, bowl, and spin the ball really well. Axar had a fantastic game against the West Indies, scoring 64 runs off of only 35 balls.
Along with KL rahul, pacer Deepak Chahar will be making his comeback from an injury in the Zimbabwe series. He has incredible speed, so it will be exciting to see how he uses it to come back on the field.
Spinner Kuldeep Yadav’s final One-Day International was in February of 2022 against the West Indies, when he took two wickets in eight overs. When paired with Axar, he makes for a formidable spin duo.
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Ibn Siraj (Mohammed): The fast bowler took four wickets in the three-game series against the West Indies. Siraj may potentially take charge of Team India’s pace attack if Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah are injured or unavailable.
Prasidh Krishna, the youthful bowler, participated in two games and took one wicket in the series against the West Indies. In his absence, Team India might field Avesh Khan as a reliable speed alternative.
