India will aim to continue their red-hot form when they begin their title defence on Saturday. In USA, the Men in Blue have been handed a dark horse for their opening fixture in what is set to be a packed Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
India have a strong squad of 15, meaning selection is a major headache for the Gautam Gambhir-led team management. However, if the warm up game is anything to go by, India have found themselves a settled combination.
India's T20 outfit has a few certainties. Captain Suryakumar Yadav, vice-captain Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya and fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah. Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Varun Chakravarthy and Shivam Dube have played themselves into that category with consistent performances over the last couple of years.
After a few rotations in the last couple of months, Ishan Kishan seems certain to take the gloves. Sanju Samson's poor form with the bat has seen him make way for the trailblazing Ishan. The left-hander was not in the scheme of things as far as December, but has played himself into the XI with a string of impressive performances.
Rinku Singh's ability to finish makes him a value addition late in the batting order. With Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube and Axar Patel, India can afford the luxury of picking an extra batter in Rinku. The left-hander to his credit has scored runs in the recent IND vs NZ series and can bat in a number of situations.
As for the bowling attack, it is likely to be dictated by pitch conditions. Varun and Jasprit Bumrah are staples and are certain of their palces. In the Asia Cup, India often played Washington and Kuldeep, with Hardik and Dube for pace cover.
However, with Wankhede's fast bowling nature, Arshdeep Singh is likely to pip Kuldeep Yadav and Mohammed Siraj for a spot in the side.
Predicted India Playing XI: Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (WK), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh.
