5 Indian players to watch out for in the T20I series against England

A look at 5 Indian players, who will be up and ready to grab eyeballs in the upcoming T20I series against England in a bid to cement their T20 World Cup berth.

The countdown to the T20 World Cup for the hosts Team India is set to begin from the five-match T20I series against England. The wholesale changes in the Indian T20I squad from those who were present Down Under has clearly specified their intent to pin down a combination that they would like to go in for the showpiece event.

There are a few players who might make their international debut for the Men in Blue based on their sensational performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Some others will be returning to playing white-ball cricket for the country after a while and would be keen to make their mark.

Let's have a look at five such Indian players, who will be up and ready to grab eyeballs in the upcoming T20I series in a bid to cement their T20 World Cup berth.

#5 Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma (Source: ET)

Rohit Sharma's last white-ball game was the IPL 2020 final for the Mumbai Indians against the Delhi Capitals. For the majority of the past few IPL seasons, Rohit Sharma has proved himself to be a sensational captain. But as a batsman, he hasn't quite been able to hit the ground running.

However, that changes dramatically when he dons the India Blue in the shortest format. In 108 games, he has scored 2773 runs at an impressive average of 32.62. He also has four centuries to his name, which speak volumes about his ability to score big.

One thing that could go against him is that he will be playing T20Is after a gap of more than a year. But his sensational form in the recently-concluded Test series against England could just help him prove why he is one of the most dangerous openers in the modern game.

#4 Axar Patel

Axar Patel (Source: ESPN Cric Info)

Axar Patel is by no means a youngster anymore as he has been around the scene for a while in Indian cricket. Ever since his breakthrough IPL season in 2014, where he picked up 17 wickets in as many games, Axar made his name as a great all-round option for the Men In Blue.

However, injuries, as well as the rise of other all-rounders like Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, kept him out of contention. But the IPL 2020 season gave his career a new lease of life. In 15 games, he picked up 9 wickets and had an excellent economy of just 6.41. He also scored 117 runs and proved his mettle as a handy all-rounder.

Little did he know that he would have a sensational Test debut series, picking up a stupendous 27 wickets from just three games. Thus, his red hot form in Tests might just run-off on his T20 performance. He will be keen to make a mark in the upcoming series and make a strong claim for his place in Team India's T20 squad.

#3 Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant (Source: Outlook)

343 runs in 14 games at a strike-rate of 113.95 - these IPL 2020 numbers do not do justice to Rishabh Pant's ability as a dangerous T20 batsman. Having already lost his place in Team India's white-ball side to KL Rahul as the first-choice wicketkeeper, Rishabh Pant was dropped from the Men in Blue's white-ball squads for the tour Down Under.

Nevertheless, he managed to turn his career around through some sensational performances in the Test series against Australia and England. Pant's 2021 has been nothing short of incredible, scoring 515 runs in just 6 Tests at a brilliant average of 64.37.

Eventually, he will be making a comeback in Team India's T20I side for the upcoming series against England. The 23-year-old will be determined to replicate his red-ball consistency in the shortest format, and for once, cement his place in the middle-order.

#2 Ishan Kishan

Ishan Kishan (Source: Cricket Country)

Another swashbuckling left-hander who could give Rishabh Pant a run for his money as far as the Indian T20 team is concerned is Ishan Kishan. Kishan was the Indian skipper that made it to the 2016 U19 World Cup Final, a team that Pant was a part of.

However, the youngster from Jharkhand somehow was left behind as the likes of Pant and Washington Sundar made their T20 debuts for India. He did impress with the Gujarat Lions in his debut IPL season but was inconsistent in domestic cricket.

Nevertheless, his talent was recognized by the Mumbai Indians, who snapped him up at the IPL 2018 auction. He did show glimpses of brilliance in his first two seasons with the franchise, but he came of age in IPL 2020, amassing an incredible 516 runs and being their highest scorer on their way to a record fifth IPL title.

Be it batting in the middle-order or replacing an injured Rohit Sharma at the top, Ishan Kishan seamlessly adjusted to his team's requirements. While only one among him or Rishabh Pant could don the gloves, Kishan would be raring to make an impact in the limited chances that he would get.

#1 Suryakumar Yadav

Suryakumar Yadav (Source: Free Press Journal)

Probably the most deserving of uncapped players to receive an India call-up, 30-year-old Suryakumar Yadav will, in all likelihood, bat in the Indian middle-order this series. He was ignored ahead of the likes of Sanju Samson and Manish Pandey for the T20I series Down Under.

However, not being dejected, Suryakumar continued to perform for both Mumbai Indians as well as for Mumbai in domestic cricket. He turned into a beast for the Rohit Sharma-led IPL side, scoring 1416 runs in three seasons so far for them.

He personified the term "selfless team man" by batting at various positions for the five-time IPL champions. With Team India looking for a solid middle-order batsman in T20Is to support Virat Kohli and to anchor the innings, Suryakumar could be the perfect addition to the Indian T20 team.

Not only the Indian team management, but the entire nation will watch the 30-year-old closely when he walks out to bat for the first time donning the Indian Blue.

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