Rishabh Pant

Matches: 111, Runs: 3018, Average: 32.80, SR: 150.00, 100s: 2, 50s: 18, Catches: 69, Stumpings: 17

The latest squad named for the T20I series sees the return of Rishabh Pant in the T20I setup and he could well be India’s first-choice pick. A prolific hitter in T20s, Pant had a quiet IPL 2020, but has shown several times that he is as good a T20 batsman as any of the frontline batsmen India have. With the T20 World Cup coming up, Pant’s dynamic batting in the middle-order will be a huge asset for India.

Rating: 9/10

Ishan Kishan

Matches: 95, Runs: 2372, Average: 28.57, SR: 133.48, 100s: 2, 50s: 12, Catches: 46, Stumpings: 7

He finished IPL 2020 as the fifth-highest run-scorer and the best for Mumbai Indians with 516 runs at an average of 57.33 and a strike-rate of 145.76. Notably, Kishan’s ability to take on fast bowlers and spinners with equal ease stood out in the IPL campaign. Remarkably consistent in the season, Kishan has finally made the cut in the T20I setup – incidentally, he hit a swashbuckling 173 off 94 balls in the Vijay Hazare Trophy on the selection day – but it remains to be seen how he fits into a team that is still moving away from some of the ODI players. Kishan’s keeping has also come a long way in the last few years.

Rating: 8/10

KL Rahul

Matches: 148, Runs: 4827, Average: 43.09, SR: 138.30, 100s: 4, 50s: 39, Catches: 67, Stumpings: 8

KL Rahul was used as a frontline keeper in ODIs and T20Is at the beginning of 2020, a move that allowed India to play an additional batsman. While it remains questionable if India can field specialist batsmen as good as the likes of Pant and Kishan if they do need to play Rahul as a keeper, he has given ample evidence that he is up to the task behind and in front of the stumps. Rahul is also, arguably, India’s best T20I batsmen, having made 1,542 runs at 44.05 since the last T20 World Cup, the most by any Indian player.

Rating: 9/10

Sanju Samson

Matches: 171, Runs: 4032, Average: 26.88, SR: 129.56, 100s: 2, 50s: 25, Catches: 86, Stumpings: 14

Often lauded for his mindset in the shortest format, Sanju Samson’s biggest flaw is his inconsistency. That India have enough anchors in the line-up and a shortage of big hitters make Samson’s omission from the T20I side a bizarre call. That said, to jump up the pecking order, especially with several keepers already in the setup, Samson will need to show he can carry on from his fiery starts and make the big ones when the situation demands.

Rating: 7/10

Wriddhiman Saha

Matches: 195, Runs: 3446, Average: 25.52, SR: 132.99, 100s: 2, 50s: 18, Catches: 102, Stumpings: 30

Wriddhiman Saha’s T20I credentials are debatable. But the first and only Indian to make a hundred in an IPL final showed another side to his T20 batting in IPL 2020 for Sunrisers Hyderabad. Stepping up to replace Jonny Bairstow at the top of the order, Saha was the more aggressive of the two Sunrisers Hyderabad openers (the other being David Warner). He even smashed a 45-ball 87, helping Hyderabad post 77 in the first six overs in a game against Delhi Capitals. While far from reckoning in India’s T20I side, Saha’s exhilarating batting in the powerplay has changed a few perceptions about him. Who knows, he could even be a left-field pick in the T20 World Cup side if he has a good IPL 2021.

Rating: 6/10