Rinku Singh was one of the most notable omissions from the Indian cricket team’s T20 World Cup 2024 squad.

The hard-hitting left-hander was considered to be one of the prime contenders to be included as a finisher in India’s 15-member T20 World Cup squad.

However, Rinku Singh was axed from India’s T20 World Cup 2024 squad that was announced by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday, April 30.

While the 26-year-old southpaw has not been included in India’s T20 World Cup 2024 squad, he has been named as one of the four travelling reserves for the upcoming marquee T20 tournament.

In the previous edition of the Indian T20 League in 2023, Rinku Singh became an household name after he clobbered five sixes in the final over against Team Bengaluru’s left-arm pacer Yash Dayal to help Team Kolkata chase down 29 runs - the highest-ever chase in the 20th over in the Indian T20 League’s history.

Rinku finished as Kolkata’s leading run-scorer last season, having amassed 474 runs in 14 matches at an impressive average of 59.25 and a strike rate of 149.52.

Following a successful Indian T20 League campaign, the Aligarh-born cricketer later made his international debut in the first T20 international against Ireland at The Village in August 2023.

Since then, Rinku cemented his place in the India’s T20I squad by playing a few memorable knocks under pressure. 

Batting mostly in the lower middle-order, Rinku has scored 356 runs in 15 T20Is at a brilliant strike rate of 176.23 while also maintaining an average of 89. 

With such impressive numbers in his short career, then the burning question is why is Rinku Singh not in India's T20 World Cup 2024 squad?

Why is Rinku Singh not in India's T20 World Cup 2024 squad

Rinku Singh can consider himself extremely unlucky to get dropped from India’s 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup 2024.

In the ongoing edition of the Indian T20 League, Rinku has had limited opportunities for Kolkata due to the success of their openers - Phil Salt (392 runs) and Sunil Narine (372 runs) - at the top of the order.

Kolkata’s two openers have been in scintillating form which has resulted in their impressive form this season so far. 

As a result, Rinku has scored just 123 runs in nine games at a strike rate of 150.

On the other hand, Shivam Dube’s outstanding form for Chennai in the ongoing Indian T20 League dented Rinku’s chances.

Dube has already accumulated 350 runs in nine matches this season at an average of 58.33 and a strike rate of 172.41. He has hammered 24 fours and 26 sixes in Indian T20 League 2024.

With Dube considered to be a good bet against spin, the southpaw has been included for the upcoming T20 World Cup to be played on similar conditions like Chepauk in the West Indies and the United States.

Additionally, Dube can contribute his handy medium pace as well and can also be a very like-for-like replacement for vice-captain Hardik Pandya. 

With Hardik’s fitness concerns, the selection committee opted for Dube in place of Rinku.

Meanwhile, India has added four spinners and three pacers in their 15-member squad. 

As each participating team will get a chance to change players in their initial squad till May 25, India can still include Rinku in their primary squad in place of a spinner depending on Rinku’s form and team’s requirement.

Should Rinku Singh manage a strong finish to the 2024 Indian T20 League season, there’s no reason why he can’t be roped into the squad as a replacement for one of India’s spinners.

India’s squad for T20 World Cup 2024: Rohit Sharma (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Shubman Gill (travelling reserve), Rinku Singh (travelling reserve), Khaleel Ahmed (travelling reserve), Avesh Khan (travelling reserve)

Photo credit: Alamy

India’s Hardik Pandya has been a successful captain in white-ball cricket in the limited opportunities that have been presented to him. 

With Rohit Sharma being in the twilight of his international career, India has been grooming quite a few candidates to be the Indian cricket team’s next captain.

As a result, Hardik Pandya has already been named vice-captain of India’s white-ball squads.

Apart from his leadership credentials, Pandya is also a valuable asset to any cricket team with his hard-hitting batting and his right-arm pace bowling. He is a match-winner on his day in limited-overs cricket.

Meanwhile, the star Indian all-rounder has also captained Team Gujarat and Team Mumbai in the Indian T20 League. 

With that in mind, let’s have a look at Hardik Pandya captaincy record.

Hardik Pandya captaincy record

Hardik Pandya made his captaincy debut against Ireland during a two-match T20 international series in Ireland in June 2022.

Under his leadership, the Indian cricket team won the first T20I by seven wickets before registering a nail-biting four-run victory in the second game to clinch the series 2-0.

Since then, Pandya has led India in 16 T20Is and three ODI matches so far. He is yet to captain India in Test cricket.

Under Pandya’s captaincy, the Indian cricket team has won 10 of the 16 T20Is while suffering five losses and the other game ended in a tie.

In ODI cricket, the Men in Blue have won two of the three matches under Pandya. 

Hardik Pandya captaincy record in international cricket

Format	Matches	Won	Lost	Tied	NR	Win %
T20Is	16	10	5	1	0	62.50
ODIs	3	2	1	0	0	66.66

The Gujarat-born cricketer is only the fourth Indian captain to have led the Men in Blue in at least 15 T20Is. 

MS Dhoni (72 matches), Rohit Sharma (54 matches) and Virat Kohli (50 matches) are the other captains to have led India in more matches in cricket’s shortest format. Among these four, Pandya has the second-best win percentage of 62.5% in T20I cricket.

Captain	Matches	Won	Lost	Tied	NR	Win %
Rohit Sharma	54	41	12	1	0	75.92
Hardik Pandya	16	10	5	1	0	62.50
Virat Kohli	50	30	16	2	0	60.00
MS Dhoni	72	41	28	1	2	56.94

Hardik Pandya captaincy record in Indian T20 League

Hardik Pandya was appointed the captain of Team Gujarat after he was roped in by the franchise at the Indian T20 League 2022 mega auction. 

The decision turned out to be an instant hit as Pandya led Gujarat to their maiden Indian T20 League title in 2022. The star all-rounder also became the first captain after legendary Shane Warne to lead a franchise to the title in its first year in the Indian T20 League.

In 2023, Pandya continued to impress as a leader as he guided Team Gujarat to back-to-back Indian T20 League finals. However, Gujarat fell short in the 2023 final as they lost to MS Dhoni-led Team Chennai by five wickets (DLS method).

In the two seasons as Team Gujarat captain, Pandya established himself as a successful captain. Gujarat won 22 of the 31 matches while suffering nine losses under Pandya. He registered an impressive win percentage of 70.97%.

Pandya later returned to Team Mumbai after two seasons ahead of Indian T20 League 2024. He replaced Rohit Sharma as Mumbai’s new captain.

The controversial decision received widespread disappointment from fans as Pandya was booed heavily at various stadiums.

Furthermore, Team Mumbai started their Indian T20 League 2024 campaign on a disappointing note as they lost their first three matches. They later bounced back with consecutive wins.

Under Pandya, Mumbai have currently won just three of their eight matches in the 2024 edition of the Indian T20 League.

Team	Matches	Won	Lost	Tied	NR	Win %
Gujarat	31	22	9	0	0	  70.97
Mumbai	8	3	5	0	0	37.50
Overall	39	25	14	0	0	63.60

Overall, Pandya has led in 55 T20 matches so far. He has registered 35 wins and suffered 19 losses as captain with an impressive win percentage of 63.60%.

Hence, Pandya can be considered as one of the prime candidates to replace Rohit Sharma as India’s limited-overs captain in the near future. 

Photo credit: Alamy

The Indian cricket team’s 15-member squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup is likely to be announced in the last week of April as the ICC's cut-off date for submission of teams is May 1.

Every participating team will get a chance to change players in their initial squad till May 25.

Meanwhile, the T20 World Cup 2024 is scheduled to start on June 2 and will run till June 29 in the West Indies and the United States.

With the marquee event fast approaching, the Indian selectors will be keeping an eye on the performance as well as on the fitness of the players in Indian T20 League 2024 keeping in mind India’s squad for T20 World Cup 2024.

Based on the performances after the first two weeks of Indian T20 League 2024, we look at the probable Indian cricket team for T20 World Cup 2024.

Indian cricket team for T20 World Cup 2024

Captain: Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma will captain the Indian cricket team at the T20 World Cup 2024 as confirmed by BCCI secretary Jay Shah in February. The former Mumbai captain has scored 118 runs in four matches in the ongoing Indian T20 League at a strike rate of 171.01. Overall, the stylish right-handed batter has amassed over 11,000 T20 runs, including seven centuries and 74 fifties to his name.

Opening batters: Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli

There are several contenders for the two opening slots in India’s squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup. 

Apart from captain Rohit Sharma, the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli are the other contenders. 

While there are ongoing debates about Virat Kohli’s inclusion in the T20 World Cup 2024 squad, the former India captain has been in scintillating form in Indian T20 League 2024. 

Kohli has been leading the Orange Cap list, having accumulated 316 runs in five matches at an impressive average of 105.33 including one hundred and two fifties.

New Gujarat skipper Shubman Gill has also been in good form in the ongoing T20 tournament. Opening the batting, Gill has scored 183 runs in five matches for Gujarat this season.

Yashasvi Jaiswal is the other contender for the opening slot. Being a southpaw, Jaiswal could provide a left-right opening combination. Since his T20I debut in 2023, Jaiswal has accumulated over 2,000 runs at a strike rate of 147.56.

Middle-order batters: Suryakumar Yadav, Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya

Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya are almost certainties in India’s squad for T20 World Cup 2024.

Swashbuckling Suryakumar Yadav is the world’s top-ranked T20I batter at the moment. The 33-year-old has been a match-winner in the T20I format, having amassed 2,141 runs in just 60 matches at an average of 45.55 and a strike rate of 171.55. He is expected to bat at No.3 in the upcoming T20 tournament.

On the other hand, Hardik Pandya can contribute with both bat and ball in the shortest format. The flamboyant cricketer has scored 1,348 runs and scalped 73 wickets in 92 matches so far.

Despite not being at his best in the ongoing Indian T20 League, Pandya has slammed 108 runs and bagged one wicket. 

Rinku Singh could be picked in India's 15-member squad for T20 World Cup 2024. The hard-hitting lower-order batter has showcased his incredible capabilities, playing match-winning knocks for India as well for Kolkata in the Indian T20 League. He has aggregated almost 2,500 T20 runs at a strike rate of 148.86. Rinku could be an important member of the Indian squad at the upcoming T20 World Cup.

Shivam Dube is the other hard-hitting option for the T20 World Cup. Representing Chennai, Dube has already scored 176 runs in five matches, including hitting 10 fours and 13 sixes.

Wicket-keepers: Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson

Delhi captain Rishabh Pant has made an impressive comeback in Indian T20 League 2024. Having returned to competitive cricket after his life-threatening car accident in December 2022, Pant has amassed 153 runs in five matches at a strike rate of 154.54. He could be picked as first choice wicket-keeper in India’s squad for T20 World Cup 2024.

Apart from Rishabh, Rajasthan skipper Sanju Samson has looked in great touch. The 29-year-old wicketkeeper-batter has scored 178 runs in four matches at an average of 59.33. He could be picked in the 15-member squad.

The likes of KL Rahul, Dinesh Karthik, Dhruv Jurel, Jitesh Sharma and Ishan Kishan are the other contenders for the two wicket-keeper slots.

Spinners: Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal

Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja is the other certainty in India’s squad for T20 World Cup 2024. Since his T20 debut in 2007, Jadeja has bagged over 200 wickets and scored more than 3,000 runs so far. The star all-rounder brings stability to any team. 

Kuldeep Yadav could be retained in India’s T20 World Cup squad based on his recent performances. The left-arm wrist-spinner has been in great form for the Men in Blue across formats. He has picked 177 T20 wickets at an average of 21.58 and an economy of 7.41.

Meanwhile, Yuzvendra Chahal has been one of the standout bowlers in Indian T20 League 2024. The star leg-spinner has scalped eight wickets in four matches at an average of 11.12 and an economy of 6.35. He could make a comeback in India’s T20 squad.

Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Ravichandran Ashwin and Washington Sundar are the other contenders.   

Fast bowlers: Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh

Star pacer Jasprit Bumrah will be one of the first picks in India’s 15-member squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup. The right-arm pacer has claimed over 250 T20 wickets at an economy of just seven. He has been in sensational form for Mumbai in the ongoing Indian T20 League, having picked five wickets in four matches at an economy of 6.12. 

Mohammed Siraj is expected to partner Bumrah for the marquee T20 World Cup. Siraj has a knack of picking crucial breakthroughs and could be play a pivotal role in the West Indies and the United States.

Arshdeep Singh could be another pick in India’s pace bowling attack. Being a left-arm pacer, Arshdeep brings variety to India’s bowling department. He has scalped over 150 T20 wickets at an average of 23.62 and an economy of 8.41.

Mayank Yadav, Mohit Sharma, Deepak Chahar, Harshal Patel and Sandeep Sharma are the other contenders for the limited fast bowlers slots.

Indian cricket team for T20 World Cup 2024: Rohit Sharma (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh

Photo credit: Alamy

The India vs Pakistan record in Asia Cup cricket tournament is laced with history. 

India and Pakistan met for the first time in the Asia Cup during the inaugural edition of the tournament in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 1984.

Electing to bat first, India rode on opening batter Surinder Khanna’s 56 off 72 balls, Sandeep Patil’s 50-ball 43 and captain Sunil Gavaskar’s unbeaten 36 off 55 balls to post a total of 188/4 in their allotted 46 overs.

In reply, Pakistan lost wickets at regular intervals as they were bowled out for 134 in 39.4 overs.

India vs Pakistan head-to-head in Asia Cup cricket

Since the inception of the tournament in 1984, India and Pakistan have played against each other on 14 occasions in the Asia Cup.

India have won eight while arch-rivals Pakistan have secured six victories. India have registered seven victories out of the 13 matches against Pakistan in the ODI format in the Asia Cup.

MS Dhoni led India to a five-wicket victory against Pakistan in the teams�only T20I meeting in the Asia Cup at the Sher-E-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Bangladesh in 2016.

India vs Pakistan head-to-head in Asia Cup format wise

Format	Matches	Won	Lost	Tied	NR	Win%
ODIs	13	7	5	0	1	53.85
T20Is	3	2	1	0	0	100

The Indian cricket team also holds a dominant head-to-head record against Pakistan in T20I cricket, winning eight of the 11 matches that they have played so far. Pakistan have managed just three wins.

However, the last time these two sides met in the T20I format, Pakistan beat India by five wickets at the Dubai International Stadium during an Asia Cup Super 4 encounter in 2022.

India vs Pakistan head-to-head in T20I cricket

Matches	Won	Lost	Tied	NR	Win%
11	8	3	0	0	77.78

India vs Pakistan overall performance in Asia Cup

Seven-time champions India have won 38 of the 57 matches in their Asia Cup history. They lost 17 games, while one match was tied and another ended with no result.

India have a win percentage of 66.67 in the Asia Cup.

On the other hand, Pakistan have won 30 of the 52 matches that they have played in the marquee Asian cricket tournament. They have lost 21 matches while one match ended with no result. They currently have a win percentage of 56.00 in the Asia Cup.

Teams	Matches	Won	Lost	Tied	NR	Win%
India	57	38	17	1	1	66.67
Pakistan	52	30	21	0	1	57.69

India vs Pakistan individual records in T20I format

Most runs for India against Pakistan in T20Is: Among Indians, Virat Kohli has scored the most runs against Pakistan in T20I cricket. The former India captain has amassed 311 runs in seven innings at an average of 77.75 and a strike rate of 118.25. He has hit three fifties against Pakistan in the T20 format so far.

Most runs for Pakistan against India in T20Is: Former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik holds the record for the most runs against India in the shortest format. The middle-order batter scored 164 runs in eight innings at an average of 27.33 including one half-century.

Most wickets for India against Pakistan in T20Is: Irfan Pathan has picked the most wickets for India against Pakistan in T20I cricket. The left-arm pacer claimed six wickets in three innings at an economy of six runs per over.

Most wickets for Pakistan against India in T20Is: Former pacer Umar Gul owns the record for the most wickets for Pakistan against India in T20s. Gul bagged 11 wickets in six innings at an average of 16.18.

India’s highest individual score against Pakistan in T20Is: Virat Kohli has recorded the highest individual score against Pakistan in T20Is. Kohli smashed an unbeaten 78 off 61 balls during an ICC World T20 match in Colombo in 2012.

Pakistan’s highest individual score against India in T20Is: Mohammed Rizwan registered the highest individual score against India in the shortest format. The Pakistan wicket-keeper batter scored 78 not out off 55 balls against India during their ICC World T20 clash in Dubai in 2021.

India’s best bowling figures against Pakistan in T20Is: India’s premier fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar has the best bowling figures against Pakistan in T20 cricket. Bhuvneshwar recorded figures of 4/26 during an Asia Cup match in Dubai in 2022.

Pakistan’s best bowling figures against India in T20Is: Former Pakistan fast bowler Mohammed Asif has registered the best bowling figures against India in T20. Asif took four wickets for just 18 runs during an ICC T20 World Cup group encounter in Durban in 2007.

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The Indian cricket team will square off against arch-rivals Pakistan in their opening match of the Asia Cup 2022 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday, August 28. The match will start at 7:30 PM Indian Standard Time (IST).

IND vs PAK Dream11 prediction for Asia Cup 2022

Placed in Group A, India and Pakistan are the top two teams of the continental tournament.

India have a superior head-to-head record against Pakistan in Asia Cup history, winning eight of the 14 matches that they have played so far. Pakistan have managed just five victories while one match ended in no result.

The two sides have clashed only once in the T20I format of the Asia Cup, with MS Dhoni-led India claiming a five-wicket win in Bangladesh in 2016.

Furthermore, India have dominated Pakistan in the T20I format, securing wins in six of the nine matches that they have clashed so far. Pakistan have secured just two victories.

However, the last time these sides met, Pakistan thrashed India by 10 wickets during the ICC T20 World Cup group match in Dubai in 2021.

Going by past head-to-head record, India will have an edge over Pakistan heading into Sunday’s marquee clash.

IND vs PAK Dream11 team tips for Asia Cup 2022

Top tip: Best batter

Pakistan captain Babar Azam will be the batter to watch out for. The 27-year-old is currently the top-ranked ICC T20I batter, having amassed 2,686 runs in 74 matches at an average of 45.53 and a strike rate of 129.45. Selected by more than  89 per cent of fantasy users, Azam will be a quality fantasy pick at 10 credits.

Top tip: Best bowler

In the bowling department, leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal will be a smart pick at 9 credits. Chahal has been in impressive form in 2022, having picked 15 wickets in 11 T20I innings at an economy of 7.12. 

Top tip: Best all-rounder and wicket-keeper

As far as all-rounders are concerned, picking India’s Hardik Pandya in any fantasy team is a no-brainer. Pandya has already scored 281 runs and claimed eight wickets in 12 T20I innings this year. Selected by 86.93 fantasy users, Pandya will be a great pick at 9 credits.

For the wicket-keeper spot, Pakistan’s Mohammed Rizwan will be the top fantasy recommendation over Rishabh Pant of India. Besides fulfilling his wicket-keeping responsibilities, Rizwan has scored 1,662 runs in 56 T20Is at an average of 50.36 and a strike rate of 128.84. At 9.5 credits, the Pakistan gloveman could be a valuable addition to any fantasy team.

IND vs PAK full squads for Asia Cup 2022

India: Rohit Sharma (captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Deepak Hooda, Dinesh Karthik (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravi Bishnoi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan

Pakistan: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan, Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Naseem Shah, Shahnawaz Dahani, Usman Qadir, Hasan Ali

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After completing a 3-0 clean sweep in the ODI format, the Indian cricket team will square off against West Indies in the first of a five-match T20I series at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad and Tobago on Friday, July 29. The match will start at 8:00 PM IST.

Led by white-ball captain Rohit Sharma, India will look to continue their dominance over West Indies after whitewashing the hosts in the three-match ODI series. 

The Men in Blue have been in impressive form in the T20I format, winning four of their last five matches.

On the other hand, Nicholas Pooran will look to bounce back in the five T20Is after suffering an ODI series defeat against India on home soil.

The Caribbean side has also showcased inconsistent form in the shortest format, registering two wins, and two losses while one match was abandoned in their last five T20s.

WI vs IND Dream11 prediction

India have a dominant head-to-head record against West Indies in T20I cricket, winning 13 of the 20 matches that they have played so far. West Indies have secured just six victories. One match was abandoned.

Furthermore, India have won four of their last five matches against West Indies in the shortest format of the game.

Going by recent form and past head-to-head record, India will start as clear favourites against West Indies in the opening T20I on Friday.

WI vs IND Dream11 team tips for 1st T20I

Top Tip: Best batter

India captain Rohit Sharma will be the batter to watch out for in the first T20I against West Indies. The 35-year-old has an impressive T20I career, amassing 3,379 runs in 128 matches at a strike rate of 139.62 while also maintaining an average of 32.18. At 10 credits, Rohit will be a quality investment in any fantasy cricket team.

Top Tip: Best bowler

In the bowling department, Bhuvneshwar Kumar could once again be the wrecker-in-chief for India. The right-arm pacer has picked 17 wickets in 13 T20Is this year at an economy of 6.75. Kumar will be a smart pick in any fantasy team at 9 credits.

Top Tip: Best all-rounder and wicket-keeper

As far as all-rounders are concerned, picking in-form Hardik Pandya is a no-brainer. The Indian all-rounder has already scored 770 runs and claimed 48 wickets in 63 T20Is so far. Pandya, who showcased his all-round capabilities against England and Ireland recently, will look to continue his form ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia. At 9.5 credits, Hardik Pandya is a worthwhile pick for the first T20I.

For the wicket-keeper spot, West Indies captain Nicholas Pooran pips India’s Rishabh Pant. Besides fulfilling his wicket-keeping responsibilities, Pooran has played some impressive knocks recently in the T20I format. The Trinidad and Tobago-born cricketer has scored 1,301 runs in 60 T20Is at a strike rate of 130.88 and has nine fifties to his name. Pooran can be a great pick for the opening T20I at 9.5 credits.

WI vs IND T20I squads

West Indies: Nicholas Pooran (captain/wicket-keeper), Rovman Powell (vice-captain), Shamarh Brooks, Dominic Drakes, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Obed McCoy, Keemo Paul, Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith, Devon Thomas, Hayden Walsh Jr.

India: Rohit Sharma (captain), Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Shreyas Iyer, Dinesh Karthik (wicket-keeper), Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, R Ashwin, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan, Harshal Patel, Arshdeep Singh

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The Indian cricket team will take on hosts Ireland in the first T20I of the two-match series at the Malahide Cricket Club Ground in Dublin on Sunday, June 26. The match will start at 9:00 PM IST (Indian Standard Time).

India will miss the services of some of their star players including Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja, who are currently playing in the tour match against Leicestershire ahead of the rescheduled England-India fifth Test at Edgbaston starting July 1.

In the absence of India’s regular T20I captain Rohit Sharma, who has tested positive for COVID-19, India will be led by Hardik Pandya for the first time.

On the other hand, Andrew Balbirnie-led Ireland will look to provide a tough fight to India at their home.

IRE vs IND Dream11 prediction

India have a dominant head-to-head record against Ireland in the T20I format, winning all the three matches that they have played so far. The last time Ireland hosted India in 2018, the visitors won both the T20I matches comprehensively.

Going by past head-to-head record and recent form, IND will start as overwhelming favourites against IRE heading into Sunday’s T20I encounter.

IRE vs IND Dream11 team tips for India tour of Ireland 2022

Top Tip: Best batter 

India’s Ishan Kishan will be the player to watch out for in the first T20I. The swashbuckling opening batter was the highest run-getter in the recently-concluded T20I series against South Africa, amassing 206 runs in five matches at a strike rate of 150.36 and an average of 41.20. Kishan will look to continue his impressive form against Ireland on Sunday.

Top Tip: Best bowler

Among the bowlers, India’s vice-captain Bhuvneshwar Kumar could once again be the difference-maker. The 32-year-old fast bowler will be high on confidence after being adjudged the Player of the Series against South Africa. He picked six wickets in five matches at an impressive economy of just 6.07. Considering the conditions in Dublin, Bhuvneshwar could be the wrecker-in-chief for India and will be a worthy fantasy pick for this match.

Top Tip: Best all-rounder and wicket-keeper

As far as all-rounders are concerned, India captain Hardik Pandya will be the overwhelming choice. Hardik scored 117 runs at a strike rate of 153.94 and an average of 58.50 against South Africa. Apart from his batting credentials, Hardik has bowl crucial overs for his team. At 9.5 credits, he could be a valuable addition to any fantasy team.

For the wicket-keeper spot, India’s Dinesh Karthik pips Lorcan Tucker of Ireland. Karthik has been in great form with the bat recently, scoring 92 runs at a strike rate of 158.62 against South Africa. He has also been safe behind the stumps. The India wicket-keeper will be a good fantasy pick at 9 credits.

IRE vs IND full squads

India: Hardik Pandya (captain), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (vice-captain), Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson (wicket-keeper), Suryakumar Yadav, Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Dinesh Karthik (wicket-keeper), Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik

Ireland: Andrew Balbirnie (captain), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Stephen Doheny (wicket-keeper), Josh Little, Andrew McBrine, Barry McCarthy, Conor Olphert, Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker (wicket-keeper), Craig Young

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Featured photo: Aamir QURESHI / AFP

Star India all-rounder Hardik Pandya exceeded expectations during his maiden Indian T20 League campaign as a skipper, guiding Team Gujarat to the title in what was the team’s debut in India’s premier domestic T20 competition.

While his bowling did take a hit during the initial games, he compensated for the loss by ending up as the highest run-getter for his team, scoring 487 runs at an average of almost 45. 

The final match against Rajasthan, in particular, was the one that etched his name in the history books. After having put to bowl first, Hardik led his bowling attack from the front by finishing with a figure of 3/17 in four overs.

With the bat, he scored an all-important 30-ball 34, which led him to being adjudged as the Man of the Match. In doing so, he became only the third captain after Anil Kumble and Rohit Sharma to be named the Man of the Match in an Indian T20 League final.

Gujarat, who are arguably the most balanced side in the league, finished the league stage at the top of the table with 20 points after 10 wins and four defeats in 14 games. Gujarat were head and shoulders above the competition and despite losing three of their last five league games, finished the league stage two points above the second-placed Rajasthan.

Overall, in his 15 matches as a captain for Team Gujarat, Hardik Pandya came out on top on 11 occasions, finishing with an impressive win percentage of 73.33. 

During his debut season as captain, the Baroda-born all-rounder smashed a career-high four half-centuries in one season while also finishing with eight wickets at an economy of 7.28.

Thanks to an unassailable performance in the Indian T20 League, Pandya made a comeback to the international circuit, making it to India’s squad for the South Africa series. 

Furthermore, he reached another high in his career after being named the captain of the Indian cricket team for two T20Is against Ireland.

Hardik Pandya captaincy record in T20 cricket

Matches	Wins	Losses	Draws	Runs	Wickets	Win %
15	11	4	0	487	8	73.33

Featured photo: Twitter / Hardik Pandya

With Hardik Pandya named as the captain of the Indian cricket team for the Ireland tour, the board and fans are looking forward to the next era of captains past the big names of MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant have also been captains of the national side in recent times. Pant, who led India in the South Africa T20 series at home, also captained Delhi in the Indian T20 League in 2021 and 2022. KL Rahul has also been captaining the Punjab team and more recently, Team Lucknow.

KL Rahul

KL Rahul has been captaining in the Indian T20 League since the past three years, first with the Punjab franchise and more recently, with Lucknow. Overall, he has captained 42 matches and won 20 of them, with his most successful season coming in 2022 as Lucknow qualified for the playoffs. With a win record of exactly 50 percent (two non decided matches), KL is deemed as a rather conservative captain. This comes from his slow batting approach while chasing.

Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant has also been leading the Delhi franchise for the last two years. His record in the league has been better, albeit with fewer games captained. He has led in 30 matches, while winning 16, at a win percentage of 55. Under his tutelage in 2021, Delhi finished top of the league stage. The left handed wicketkeeper batsman has been termed as an unorthodox captain by the experts, and is still learning his craft.

Hardik Pandya

The swashbuckling all rounder was appointed as the captain of his newly formed home franchise in Gujarat. In a splendid season, he led them to the title of the Indian T20 league in spectacular fashion, winning 11 of 15 matches. His win percentage thus is a superb 73.33 percent. He has been described as a risk taker and captains the way he plays - fearlessly.

Shreyas Iyer

The most experienced IPL captain on the list, Shreyas Iyer captained the Delhi franchise and shifted to the Kolkata franchise last year after the mega auction. He is thought to be a patient and calm captain. He has captained 55 matches in the Indian T20 league in a span of 2018-2022, missing out in 2021 due to injury. Out of these 55 matches, he has won 27, at a win percentage of 50.9.

Four players, four leaders and four styles. It is an abundance of leadership riches that India currently has, and it is yet to be seen as to who is groomed into the full time captain of Team India.

Featured photo: AFP / INDRANIL MUKHERJEE