Ex-India Star Picks India XI For 1st T20I vs Sri Lanka, Leaves Out Recent ‘Player Of The Series’
As Gautam Gambhir gears up for his debut as India’s head coach in the first T20I against Sri Lanka, former India batter Wasim Jaffer has shared his playing XI choices for the game on social media. Jaffer, rumored to become the new head coach of the IPL franchise Punjab Kings, made some notable selections. Jaffer left out significant names like Sanju Samson and the in-form Washington Sundar, opting instead for T20 World Cup stars Rishabh Pant and Axar Patel.
If Gambhir and the Team India management align with Jaffer’s choices, Samson could be sidelined again, despite his excellent form in IPL 2024. Samson, who scored 531 runs in IPL 2024, 85 more than Pant, did not play a single game in India’s victorious T20 World Cup 2024 campaign and might find himself playing second fiddle to Pant once more.
Jaffer also excluded Samson’s Rajasthan Royals teammate Riyan Parag from his XI. Here’s Jaffer’s preferred lineup for the first T20I:
- Shubman Gill
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- Rishabh Pant (WK)
- Suryakumar Yadav (C)
- Shivam Dube
- Hardik Pandya
- Rinku Singh
- Axar Patel
- Ravi Bishnoi
- Arshdeep Singh
- Mohammed Siraj
Jaffer chose an opening pair of Yashasvi Jaiswal and vice-captain Shubman Gill, followed by Pant, new India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, and Rinku Singh. With Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma retiring from T20Is after the T20 World Cup, Gill is expected to be a regular feature in the side. Rinku Singh, who narrowly missed the cut for the World Cup squad, also finds a spot.
Axar Patel is placed at the no. 8 spot, ahead of Zimbabwe tour ‘Player of the Series’ Washington Sundar, who took eight wickets in five games against Zimbabwe at an economy rate of 5.16. Ravi Bishnoi is Jaffer’s choice for the specialist spinner. Finally, Jaffer picked two frontline seamers in Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Siraj.
Wasim Jaffer’s playing XI: Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant (WK), Suryakumar Yadav (C), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj.
