The three-match ODI series between India and West Indies is all set to get underway on Sunday (February 6). All the games will be held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
For Team India, it will be an important series as Rohit Sharma is embarking on his journey as full-time ODI skipper while a number of young players will look to seal their place in the side with impressive performances.
Ahead of the series, the home team has been rocked by COVID-19 as four players namely Shikhar Dhawan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer and reserve seamer Navdeep Saini have returned positive results.
Since the aforementioned players are currently serving quarantine, India’s playing XI will certainly have a different look for the ODI series opener.
Keeping the available squad in mind, Team COC presents to you the Predicted Team India playing XI for the first ODI against West Indies.
With the white-ball vice-captain KL Rahul unavailable for the first ODI, the hosts are in a spot of bother with regard to their opening pair. The opening partner alongside skipper Rohit is yet to be ascertained which currently has the toss-up between Ishan Kishan and Mayank Agarwal, who was added later into the squad after COVID-19 jolted the Indian team.
Agarwal’s three-day quarantine will end only on Sunday morning i.e the match day. Therefore, it seems likely that Kishan will open alongside Rohit in the first ODI.
Former captain Virat Kohli is all set to bat at No. 3 position, followed by wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant and Suryakumar Yadav.
With Shreyas Iyer under isolation, Team India are likely to bolster their batting by going with all-round options such as Washington Sundar and Shardul Thakur. While Sundar is coming back into the side after recovering from injury, Thakur has impressed one and all with his batting exploits on the recent tour of South Africa.
Seam bowling all-rounder Deepak Chahar should also retain his place in the playing XI after his terrific showing in the last ODI against South Africa last month. Chahar had returned with the figures of 2/54 and scored 54 in the only ODI he played on the South Africa tour.
With veteran off-spinner R Ashwin not part of the ODI squad, wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav could be seen bowling in tandem with Yuzvendra Chahal in the series opener, else Mohammed Siraj might be considered as the fourth seamer keeping dew factor in mind.
Fast bowler Prasidh Krishna should also hold on to his place in the line-up after returning with impressive figures of 3 for 59 in the final ODI against South Africa at Cape Town.
COC Predicted Team India playing XI for first ODI:
Rohit Sharma (c), Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal, Prasidh Krishna
