Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav are selected by ex-cricketers as India’s top spinners for the first T20I against WI

The attention will go to the five-match T20I series, which begins on Thursday, after winning the ODI series 2-1 with a crushing 200-run victory in the last game. Many IPL stars, like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Verma, and Mukesh Kumar, will get the opportunity to wear the T20I shirt for the first time thanks to the youthful group of players chosen for the team.

All-arounder Hardik Pandya will continue to serve as India’s T20I captain since both ace batter Virat Kohli and regular skipper Rohit Sharma haven’t participated in the tournament since their quarterfinal defeat from the T20 World Cup last year.

Former Indian cricketers Aakash Chopra and Sarandeep Singh have chosen Axar Patel as their first-choice spinner for the first T20 International against the West Indies, but they have different choices for the second spinner. Chopra chose Yuzvendra Chahal, while Singh went with the hot Kuldeep Yadav for the first game of the series.

Kuldeep dominated the three-match ODI series, taking eight wickets overall, including four in the first game.

JioCinema expert Aakash Chopra discussed his pick of spinners for the game, saying: “With the four spinners available, Axar Patel would be my first option since he is an all-rounder and is a like-for-like replacement for (Ravindra) Jadeja, as well as having performed well in the IPL. Any of these other spinners would be impossible to force to the bench. However, I’ll accompany Yuzi Chahal. He hardly ever has the chance to play these days.

We all understand that the moniker “Chatur Chahal” wasn’t given to him arbitrarily. He plays chess, can read batsmen, assesses the situation, and bowls. Therefore, I would want to see Axar before Yuzi and Kuldeep Yadav,” he said.

Currently a JioCinema expert, former spinner and national selector Sarandeep Singh stated: “The first has to be Axar Patel since he not only bowls but also bats and is a terrific fielder. Second, Kuldeep should be chosen based on his bowling performance, whether it is in the IPL or ODI series. You thus need a Kuldeep Yadav to replace Axar Patel.

However, another JioCinema specialist, Nikhil Chopra, stated: “I would want to watch Kul-Cha (Kuldeep Yadav and Chahal). When playing T20s on excellent wickets, Kuldeep and Yuzi have the capacity to take wickets since wrist spinners have an impact on wicket-taking.

Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson, Hardik Pandya, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik, Mukesh Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Avesh Khan, Ravi Bishnoi, and Tilak Varma make up India’s T20I team.