It has been little under a month since the 2023 Indian Premier League commenced in the most dramatic of ways with Chennai Super Kings triumphing over 2022 champions Gujarat Titans.
The attention for Indian cricket now turns to the Caribbean, where India travel to take on the West Indies.
They will play two Tests, three ODIs and five T20Is in total, with the T20I squad yet to be announced. The recently-concluded IPL season has likely provided food for thought for selectors, particularly in the batting department.
India T20I squad selections since the 2022 t20 World Cup
There has been big change to the landscape of the India T20I squad since the harrowing loss to England at the 2022 t20 World Cup. Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul have all not played since, representing a huge shift from what is a star-studded and experienced top three.
Ravichandran Ashwin and Mohammad Shami have also been missing from the three series since, along with 38-year-old Dinesh Karthik. Rishabh Pant has not played since because of an injury he sustained in a car accident prior to IPL 2023.
The following players are those who were in the squads for the three T20I series since the World Cup.
Players who are certainties
- Shubman Gill
- Suryakumar Yadav
- Hardik Pandya
- Axar Patel
- Sanju Samson
Players who are likely inclusions
- Ishan Kishan
- Arshdeep Singh
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Yuzvendra Chahal
- Umran Malik
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar
- Mohammad Siraj
Players who could miss out
- Washington Sundar
- Rahul Tripathi
- Deepak Hooda
- Shivam Mavi
- Harshal Patel
- Rishabh Pant
- Shreyas Iyer
4 uncapped players who could break into the India T20I setup following IPL 2023
1) Yashasvi Jaiswal
By the time the T20I series rolls around, Jaiswal may not be an uncapped player, given the fact he has been selected for the Test team. He enjoyed a stunning breakout season in IPL 2023, having shown glimpses of his immense talent in previous seasons.
He outshone Jos Buttler at the top of the Rajasthan Royals' batting order and made tournament history when he struck the fastest IPL half-century in just 13 balls against Kolkata Knight Riders. It could well be a straight shootout for the second opening position alongside Gill, with he and Kishan offering similar services.
Should India go without their experienced top three of Kohli, Rohit and Rahul, as they have done post-World Cup, then Jaiswal is likely to be given a chance to prove himself.
2) Jitesh Sharma
One of the true bright spots for Punjab Kings in the last two IPL seasons, Jitesh provides a strong keeper-batter option. He is capable of playing towards the top of the order, but is arguably best in the middle.
He has incredible natural attacking intent in his game and has provided impetus on many occasions for the Kings. He has strong competition in his role as a keeper, with Samson joining Kishan and even Jaiswal as options in that area.
But out of the other three, Jitesh provides something that Dinesh Karthik was brought back for and that is finishing ability at the end of an innings, something that could give the Kings man a selection advantage.
3) Rinku Singh
The diminutive left-hander has been an immense find for Kolkata Knight Riders in the last two seasons. He made a strong impact during the second half of the 2022 campaign and cemented his place with some stunning performances in the middle order in 2023.
The highlight was naturally the heist he pulled off against defending champions Gujarat Titans where he won the match for KKR in the most improbable of circumstances, smashing 30 off the last over to see his side home.
He has shown he is able to play a variety of different styles of innings, from stabilising an innings to providing fireworks towards the end. He also offers a left-hand option in the middle order and is always active out in the deep when fielding.
4) Tilak Varma
Another left-hander who has risen to prominence in the last two seasons is Tilak. One of a number of exciting young talents in the Mumbai Indians stable, the 20-year-old built on his stellar 2022 campaign with a blistering 11 innings in 2023 in which he scorched 343 runs at a strike rate of 164.
He may be young, but he has been a key component of what is an incredible Mumbai batting lineup. It may prove to be a year too early, but Tilak's numbers speak for themselves and the chances of him not being a regular part of the T20I setup over the next decade seem slim.
Like Rinku and Jitesh, he has shown that he is able to bat any point of an innings and adapt to the match conditions. Like those two, Tilak has shown a penchant for aggressive intent and he can help guide India into a new era of exciting cricket.
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