Season of opportunity: Selection battles that could change the shape of India’s T20I side

India head coach Gautam Gambhir in conversation with Ishan Kishan during training session. (PTI Photo) INDORE: With the 2028 T20 World Cup more than two years away, the Indian team has plenty of time to experiment before picking a ‘Final 15’ best suited to the conditions in host nations Australia and New Zealand.It also presents an opportunity for those looking to break into the T20I side and those trying to hold on to their places as we focus on preparing the team for the ODI World Cup in a year’s time.This five-match series against the West Indies is immediately followed by a tour of New Zealand from October 22. With plenty of T20I lineups, the team management has room to manoeuvre, assess their resources and identify better options than what is currently available.While Abhishek Sharma’s place looks secure at the moment, the same cannot be said for his partner Sanju Samson, who is always under pressure to perform every time she walks out to bat. Breathing down his neck is Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who has impressed every time he got an opportunity in recent months. Not to be forgotten is Yashasvi Jaiswal, a proven performer in the shortest format, who is now adding wicket-taking skills to his repertoire in a bid to break through between both teams with the white ball.However, Samson showed his class in the second T20I against West Indies with a 41-ball 82, silencing his critics, at least for now.Tilak Varma was not pleased when he was relegated to No.5 and at times No.6 after the 2026 T20 World Cup. However, he is coming to terms with the role and has produced impressive displays, whether it was his unbeaten 22-ball 51 in the Asian Games gold medal match against Pakistan or his unbeaten 18-ball 44 in Ranchi. More importantly, he has allayed concerns about his strike rate and is scoring runs at a brisk pace.Shivam Dube and Nitish Kumar Reddy are likely to compete strongly for the all-rounder’s bowling spot. If Hardik Pandya stays fit, only one of them can cut, which makes the battle even more interesting. Reddy’s bowling is considerably stronger than Dube’s, who conceded 30 runs in two overs in Ranchi, while the 23-year-old from Hyderabad’s batting continues to improve with each outing despite not featuring in the series so far.Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana, who are expected to be India’s frontline riders by October 2028, the others will want to stay in the mix. Mayank Yadav has given a good account of himself with a fiery spell while his Lucknow Super Giants teammate Prince Yadav will also be itching for an opportunity. The young pacers will look to continue to perform with one eye on Bhuvneshwar Kumar who is set to make a comeback in the New Zealand series.In the spin department, Axar Patel and Washington Sundar, who is not in the current series, look best placed due to their increasing value with the bat. Kuldeep Yadav and Ravi Bishnoi are the other contenders in the race for the seat.

In the belt menu

While coach Gautam Gambhir was very critical of the pitches on offer during the series and demanded a better balance between bat and ball. In Ranchi, he said the bowlers’ careers were at stake after West Indies chased down a target of 250 in the second T20I, the format’s second-most successful chase.The surface became easier to bat on in the second innings as the dew settled, making it difficult for the bowlers to grip the ball.Expect similar conditions in the third T20I at the Holkar Stadium in Indore, where the pitch is traditionally flat, the boundaries are significantly shorter than in Lucknow and Ranchi and the dew is expected to play a major role.The venue witnessed one 400-plus ODI total and three 330-plus, while the teams crossed the 220-run mark twice in T20Is. So another scoring match is on the agenda on Sunday.The Indian team arrived in the afternoon and shortly afterwards Gambhir and his support staff visited the stadium to inspect the pitch. They had a brief chat with the ground staff before departing, anticipating the next run-fest on offer.