India vs Netherlands T20 World Cup 2022 Predicted Playing 11: Rishabh Pant to return to side, Axar Patel or Ravichandran Ashwin to be dropped

If all-rounder Hardik Pandya can chip in as the full-time fifth bowling option then Rishabh Pant can be accommodated into the side at the expense of either Axar Patel or Ravichandran Ashwin.

Source: Twitter

The Indian middle-order was badly exposed although a Virat Kohli special helped Rohit Sharma’s side open their ICC men’s T20 World Cup 2022 campaign with a win against arch-rivals Pakistan on Sunday (October 23). Their next Group 2 opponents will be minnows Netherlands at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday (October 27) and one of the headaches for the team management will be to figure out how to bring Rishabh Pant into the playing XI.

The absence of a top-order left-handed batter meant that all-rounder Axar Patel was promoted up the order but the experiment failed against Pakistan as he was run-out cheaply. If all-rounder Hardik Pandya can chip in as the full-time fifth bowling option then Pant can be accommodated into the side at the expense of either Axar or Ravichandran Ashwin.

Pant can be asked to open the batting if needed or fill the void in the middle order. India have preferred to play Dinesh Karthik as the specialist wicketkeeper-batter over Pant in Australia so far.

What an afternoon we have ahead!

2pm: v
6pm: v

https://t.co/VbH77T0nmL pic.twitter.com/UtSzsXadY9 — Sydney Cricket Ground (@scg) October 26, 2022

Hardik Pandya bowled four solid overs against Pakistan, picking up three wickets and questions are bound to be asked if the Baroda all-rounder can be used as a fifth specialist bowler with an additional batting option in the playing XI.

“It totally depends on conditions. He gives you four-over options and has been effective for us. He brings in that balance. It depends on the team that we are playing against,” Team India bowling coach Paras Mhambrey told the media in Sydney on Wednesday (October 26).

Another change that Team India may opt for against the Dutch could be bringing in leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal in the playing XI. Chahal didn’t play the first match against Pakistan with Ashwin and Axar doing the spinners’ duties.

India vs Netherlands T20 World Cup 2022 Group 2 Predicted Playing 11

India: Rohit Sharma (c), KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Ravichandran Ashwin/Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel/Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Shami

Netherlands: Colin Ackermann, Tom Cooper, Bas de Leede, Max O’Dowd, Vikramjit Singh, Scott Edwards (c), Shariz Ahmad, Logan van Beek, Fred Klaassen, Paul van Meekeren, Tim Pringle