Could Jasprit Bumrah make a comeback? India’s predicted squad for the Ireland T20Is

The selection for the T20Is will not be as straightforward as it appears. India are currently playing a Test series against West Indies which will be followed by an ODI and a T20I series. The team have seemingly begun their transition in the shortest format, with a number of big names missing out from that T20I squad yet again, which will be led by Hardik Pandya.

India’s schedule in August is heavy, with a T20I series scheduled for mid-August and the Asia Cup at the end of the month. The Asia Cup, to be played in the 50-over format, will be a preparatory tournament for the World Cup later this year. With a challenging 12 months ahead, the aim of the selection committee will be to ensure adequate workload management for the players who are certainties to feature in the tournament later this year.

With the T20 World Cup also next year, the focus will currently be on giving maximum exposure to newer players, many of whom have been selected for the Asian Games in September. Players who are not part of the Test squad but are likely to play the 50-over World Cup could travel to Ireland to get back into their routine after a two-month break following the Indian Premier League, where no white-ball matches were played.

Here’s the probable squad for the three T20Is against Ireland:

Openers

Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad

There should not be any surprises here. Gaikwad is India’s captain for the Asian Games and will be one of the first names on the team sheet. He had a stellar IPL this year and will be in contention to make the T20 World Cup squad in 2024.

Jaiswal has dazzled the cricketing world with his multi-format successes, effortlessly transitioning from striking at 164 in the IPL to making a Test century on his debut on a dry wicket against the West Indies. Jaiswal, who is being groomed as a future superstar, would benefit from gaining experience in different conditions.

Middle-order batters

Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Rinku Singh, Rahul Tripathi

Rinku, Tilak, and Tripathi have been shortlisted as the men who will carry India’s T20I batting forward, with all three being picked for the Asian Games. Rinku and Tilak have had breakout IPL seasons, following up on their initial promise shown in 2022 with consistent performances in 2023. Tripathi did not have a memorable 2023 season, but is equally good against spin and pace, and has already impressed captain Hardik Pandya with his aggressive approach.

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Suryakumar is likely to feature in the Asia Cup and the World Cup, but could nonetheless fly to Ireland after playing the white-ball games in West Indies. He has played only two games since May, featuring in the Duleep Trophy, and the selectors would want to give him some game time as the World Cup nears.

Wicket-keepers

Sanju Samson, Jitesh Sharma

Kishan is likely to be the backup opener in India’s World Cup squad unless Shikhar Dhawan is given a surprise call-up. With limited options for wicket-keepers who can open the batting, India would want to rest the left-hander, who has been playing continuously since the start of the year.

This leaves Samson as the first-choice wicket-keeper for the Ireland series. Although Samson could also feature in the World Cup squad, he has been on a complete break from the game since the IPL ended. Jitesh, who will be playing in the Asian Games, is expected to be the second-choice wicket-keeper.

All-rounders

Hardik Pandya, Washington Sundar

Pandya is set to lead India on the tour of Ireland, although there are strong reasons why he could have skipped the trip. India have struggled to find capable seam-bowling all-rounders in the past, and Pandya will be an important member of the World Cup squad. He is injury-prone and could have been rested for the series, with Suryakumar as captain.

India are likely to rest both Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel, the two spin all-rounders who are likely to play in the World Cup, which opens up opportunities for Sundar. Sundar has played only 35 T20Is since his debut in 2017, with injuries keeping him on the sidelines. The injury to Jadeja during the T20 World Cup last year and the absence of suitable replacements affected the balance of the team, something which a fit Sundar could resolve.

Spinners

Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi

Chahal and Kuldeep have both been away from the Test set-up and could do with some match practice ahead of the World Cup, where both are likely to have big roles to play.

Bishnoi, on the other hand, last played for India almost a year ago but has impressed with his googlies and variations in the IPL. He has been picked in the squad for the Asian Games, and the Ireland series will provide an ideal platform as he eyes an international comeback.

Fast bowlers

Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan

The most significant news from the tour is the expected comeback of Bumrah, who has been dealing with a back injury for the past year. He was recently seen bowling at a college ground as he looks to return to international cricket, and a series against Ireland would be the ideal tour for him to assess his fitness levels.

Umran and Siraj are expected to be considered for the World Cup. In an age when Indian fast bowlers are frequently injured, the BCCI would rather rest the quicks than risk them against Ireland. Avesh and Arshdeep, who have been selected for the Asian Games, will be the other seamers on the tour.