Ishan Kishan or Jitesh Sharma? A look at Team India's probable XI for 1st T20I against Australia

The Indian cricket team will now play a five-match Twenty20 International series at home against Australia, beginning on Thursday, Nov. 23, 2023. After the Indian team's devastating defeat to the visitors in the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 final, Suryakumar Yadav will take charge of the team. Andhra Pradesh's ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium will host the opening game.

3 things you need to know

• India vs Australia 1st T20I match will be played today
• Suryakumar Yadav is named the captain of the Indian Team 
• Ruturaj Gaikwad is named the vice-captain of the Indian Team

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Indian team to have major changes ahead of the IND vs AUS 1st T20I match

The responsibility for lifting the nation's spirits following India's ODI World Cup failure now lies on the younger players. On Thursday, in Visakhapatnam, India will face off against the defending champions, Australia, in the first of a five-match T20I series. The limelight now falls on India's lone representative from the World Cup final XI, Suryakumar Yadav, due to the notable absence of senior players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and KL Rahul.

The squad will be led by Suryakumar Yadav, who is highly regarded in the shorter format, and will be assisted by Ruturaj Gaikwad. Even though he has never captained an Indian Premier League team, Gaikwad takes over as captain for the first time after leading Mumbai in domestic cricket. As India plans to rest most of their main XI players before the white-ball series against South Africa, which starts on December 10 in Durban, Shreyas Iyer, another important part of India's World Cup squad, will take over as vice-captain for the last two Twenty20 Internationals.

Ishan Kishan, partnered with Gaikwad, is expected to take the opening slot vacated by Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma. Ishan represented India at the World Cup, while Gaikwad is back after winning gold in the T20 format at the Asian Games. Yashasvi Jaiswal, who has shown his excellence with centuries in Tests and T20I, may not play in the first portion of the T20I series due to this change.

The middle-order will be led by Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma, with crucial roles played by Rinku Singh and Shivam Dube, who are both famous for scoring rapid runs towards the conclusion of the innings.

On the bowling front,  Axar Patel's return from injury that kept him out of the World Cup is putting his skills front and centre. Ravi Bishnoi, a leg-spinner, is also getting a lot of love.

Arshdeep Singh and Prasidh Krishna, who was brought in as a replacement for Hardik Pandya in the World Cup squad, will be leading the speed department. Mukesh Kumar and Avesh Khan will square off for the third seamer position.

Washington Sundar might step in as a replacement for Shivam Dube if the team needs another spinner.

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India vs Australia: Team India’s predicted XI

Ishan Kishan (wicket keeper), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube/Washington Sundar , Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Mukesh Kumar.