Former Team India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has named his Men in Blue as the XI for the upcoming first T20I against Australia, which will take place on Wednesday, October 29 at the Manuka Oval in Canberra. Pathan ignored left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav and picked just one specialist spinner for the series opener.
India, led by Shubman Gill, was defeated by Australia in the ODI series. Australia won the first two matches by seven and two wickets respectively. The visiting team registered a comfortable nine-wicket win in the last match and will now look to carry that winning momentum into the upcoming T20I series.
Irfan Pathan picks India’s player for the first T20I vs. Australia
Irfan Pathan has named his player XI for the opening match of the T20I against Australia, with Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill as the openers. Gill, who struggled in the Asia Cup, will look to rediscover his rhythm on the Australian pitches.
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Pathan selected Tilak Varma and skipper Suryakumar Yadav for numbers three and four in the line-up. Abhishek and Tilak were among the standout players at the 2025 Asia Cup.
Sharma amassed 314 runs with a blistering knock of 200, while Tilak added 213 runs from six innings. Suryakumar will be hoping to find consistency again after a disappointing run of form.
Pathan named Sanju Samson as the designated wicketkeeper-batsman, while Axar Patel and Shivam Dube were included as all-rounders. He joined the same core group that competed in the Asia Cup.
Irfan Pathan picks Varun Chakaravarthy over Kuldeep Yadav in player XI
With Hardik Pandya sidelined due to injury, Irfan Pathan opted for a fast-paced lineup suited to Australian conditions. He named Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana as the frontline fast bowlers.
Pathan stated that Shivam Dube and Axar Patel can provide depth and overs in the middle order. For the sole specialist spinner slot, he chose Varun Chakaravarthy over Kuldeep Yadav, citing his ability to bowl in the powerplay.
Irfan Pathan plays
It’s not a big deal either – Irfan Pathan
Irfan Pathan said Harshit Rana’s impressive cameo in the second ODI has boosted the team management’s confidence in him as a lower-order option. Pathan added that selecting Kuldeep Yadav in the spin department would not be a problem.
“Harshit Rana’s cameo in the second ODI would have given the Indian team management a lot of confidence. So if he plays at number 8, India have sorted their order to number 7, with two all-rounders in Dube and Axar, who can give you at least six overs. Then you can also play against two pacers in Arshdeep and Jasprit, but who will be that first spinner?” Pathan said on his YouTube channel
“I am thinking of Chakaravarthy because he can also bowl a few overs in the powerplay if required. India also needs a bit of a mystery factor in their team. But if the team management chooses Kuldeep, then that is not a big problem either,” he added.
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