Hardik Pandya to lead as we look at the current best T20 playing 11 for Team India with T20 World Cup 2026 in hindsight.
It is no secret that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are two of the greatest players to have played T20Is for Team India. The stalwarts of the game are the top 2 leading run-getters in T20Is with Rohit having 4231 runs and Virat Kohli having 4188 runs. The glorious careers that started almost 15-17 years back needed a great finish, and the T20 World Cup 2024 Trophy was exactly that.
With Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli finally bidding adieu to the shortest format of the game, their absence creates a big void, and affects the team combination drastically. Apart from Rohit and Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja has also retired from T20Is, and Yuzvendra Chahal and Mohammed Siraj may no longer be in the scheme of things for T20Is anymore.
With these four players not there, and a completely new squad being selected for India vs Zimbabwe series, what’s the ideal T20 playing 11 for Team India with the T20 World Cup 2026 in hindset? Now, a lot can change over two years, so we will consider only the current form and preference while finding the best T20 playing 11 for Team India.
Team India Current Best T20 Playing 11
With Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli occupying the openers slot in their last T20 Tournament, it means, we need to have a completely new set of T20 openers. So, who is the current best lot of openers for India in T20Is? Well, if you look at look at the current form, Yashasvi Jaiswal is a sure shot opener in T20Is. Alongside Jaiswal, either of Ruturaj Gaikwad or Shubman Gill is fine, but since Gill is the projected Captain, having him as Jaiswal’s partner isn’t a bad option either.
Coming to number 3, India surprised everyone by playing Rishabh Pant at number 3 in T20 World Cup 2024. But is he the best option? Well, certainly not. With Virat Kohli playing as an opener, Pant played at 3 to fill the void of an attacking left-hander. With Jaiswal already there, SKY should play at his usual number 3 position as he has always done.
Coming to the middle-order, Rishabh Pant at 4 and Hardik Pandya at 5 looks like a good batting order and combination. Dube, who played for India in the middle-order was more of an experimentation move. But with Pant in the middle-order, and Rinku Singh donning the finishing duties, Dube doesn’t feature in the ideal T20 playing 11 for Team India. Also, Hardik at 5 gives him some time to get his eye in before going berserk.
Batting Depth or Attacking Bowler?
Talking about the finishers, India missed Rinku Singh badly in the T20 World Cup 2024. Although Dube played a part in the final, Rinku is a more accomplished finisher, and with the current preferred setup, Rinku Singh at 6 is an ideal match. Alongside Rinku, Axar Patel at 7 is a go-to option for the Indian team. Axar’s finishing skills and brilliant bowling make him India’s second-best all-rounder in T20Is.
With Ravindra Jadeja not there, who fills the void created by him? Jadeja not only added batting depth but also gave useful 2-4 overs in the context. But who replaces him? Well, currently, there is only one candidate who can fill that void, and that’s Washington Sundar. But honestly, Sundar isn’t ready as yet. So, Sundar can wait for the time being, and instead of batting depth, India can play a wicket-taker like Kuldeep Yadav or Arshdeep Singh on priority.
Finally, talking about the pacers, India were without Mohammed Shami in the T20 World Cup 2024 given his current injury concern. But had he been available, he would have easily made it to the playing 11 as the second-best pacer in the country. So, assuming Mohammed Shami gets fit, he alongside Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh shall be the three best pacers in the playing 11.
Team India’s Current Best T20 Playing 11:
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- Shubman Gill
- Suryakumar Yadav
- Rishabh Pant (wk)
- Hardik Pandya (c)
- Rinku Singh
- Axar Patel
- Arshdeep Singh
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Mohammed Shami
- Jasprit Bumrah
Backups: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi & Sanju Samson
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