Nidahas Trophy 2018 will become a perfect platform for young Indian team under the leadership of Rohit Sharma to test its mettle. The Tri-nation subcontinental showdown will be played between Sri Lanka, India, and Bangladesh. The first match which takes place on Tuesday will feature India and Sri Lanka at the R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo.

The decision of the Indian selection committee of going with youngsters like wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant, paceman Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar and others get a chance to prove their strength and show that they belong to the international arena. But what will be interesting to see is what sort of combination the Indian team management opts for, considering that they will look to give as many opportunities as possible to the young brigade.

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Skipper Rohit Sharma will open the batting and the most likely person to accompany him at the other end will be Shikhar Dhawan. This puts KL Rahul’s chances in the playing XI a bit doubtful because Suresh Raina and Manish Pandey have sealed the slots for number three and four. Hence, it will be intriguing to see where Rahul fits in.

Team India’s combination will be crucial in Nidhas Trophy opener

With MS Dhoni rested, young wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant will shoulder the responsibility of pinch hitter towards the end of the innings. However, this will be his first T20I since July 2017. But if he does replicate his domestic form then it will definitely anticipate well for Team India. Dinesh Karthik will assume wicketkeeping duties.

Also read: Vijay Shankar was surprised with his selection for Nidahas Trophy

Among the bowlers, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, and Washington Sundar head the spin department while Jaydev Unadkat is expected to lead the seam attack. Shardul Thakur or Mohammad Siraj will be other seamers in the team. Another notable aspect is whether India opts for a third seamer or goes with allrounder Vijay Shankar.

India’s Predicted XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Shikhar Dhawan (vc), Suresh Raina, Manish Pandey, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Rishabh Pant, Axar Patel/Vijay Shankar, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Shardul Thakur, Jaydev Unadkat.