BCCI has announced the 12-man Indian squad for the first Windies ODI. The match will be played at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati on Sunday. Rishabh Pant has been named in the squad that guarantees an ODI debut for the left-hander.
The wicketkeeper-batsman has had an impressive run in Test cricket of late. He had scored a century in the Oval Test in England. Then, he followed it up with 2 half-centuries in 2 innings in the Test series against Windies. He has already represented the country in T20I and Test cricket and now gets the opportunity to play ODI cricket as well.
MS Dhoni is also in the side which means that he will keep the wickets. Pant will play in the team as the specialist batsman. He might bat at the No.5 slot. Pant had earlier tweeted that he was ready to take the field in the Windies ODI.
Always ready to give my 100 per cent on a cricket field. Cannot wait to take on the West Indies in the first ODI on Sunday! #IndiaVsWestIndies #comingup pic.twitter.com/cTyXnLEGuj
— Rishabh Pant (@RishabhPant17) October 19, 2018
Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma will be the regular openers and Virat Kohli will be back at the No.3 spot. Ambati Rayudu, who had batted at No.3 in the Asia Cup 2018, will most likely move to No.4. Pant and Dhoni will constitute the lower middle-order. KL Rahul and Manish Pandey don’t find a place in the playing XI.
As far as the bowling is concerned, India might go in with 3 spinners just like they did in the latter half of the Asia Cup. Umesh Yadav, who bagged 10 wickets in the 2nd Test, finds a place back in the side. Mohammed Shami also makes a comeback to the colored clothing. The 20-year-old Khaleed Ahmed who has been named in the 12-man squad might feature as the 12th man.
India’s 12-man squad for the first Windies ODI
Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli(c), Ambati Rayudu, Rishabh Pant, MS Dhoni(wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Khaleel Ahmed
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