India's predicted playing XI for the 1st T20I vs Afghanistan

India will play against Afghanistan in the first T20I of the three-match series in Mohali on Thursday, January 11.

The Men in Blue have already given a few indications about what their thinking is for the rubber, which is their last T20I assignment ahead of the 2024 T20 World Cup. They also don't have a lot of choices, having been picky with their squad selection.

Team India's squad for the Afghanistan T20Is: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar.

See below for India's predicted playing XI for the first T20I against Afghanistan.

---

Openers: Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal

Yashasvi Jaiswal plays a shot: India v Australia - T20I Series: Game 5

Head coach Rahul Dravid has confirmed that Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal will open the batting in the first T20I against Afghanistan, although he did say that the team management want to keep their options open.

Rohit will want to silence his critics, while Jaiswal will want to nail down his spot at the top of the order.

---

Middle Order: Shubman Gill, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (wk), Rinku Singh, Axar Patel

Axar Patel attempts a shot: India v Australia - T20I Series: Game 5

Virat Kohli will miss the first T20I due to personal reasons, and India have a few options to replace him. Shivam Dube has been on the fringes of the T20I side for a while now without getting many chances, while there is also the possibility of playing two wicket-keepers in Jitesh Sharma and Sanju Samson.

However, India have a lot of faith in Shubman Gill, who hasn't been given a good run of matches in the shortest format. The 24-year-old could slot in at No. 3 in Kohli's absence.

Tilak Varma will add a left-handed option in the middle order while also serving as a potential sixth bowler. He will need to be at his best during the three-match series against Afghanistan.

It'll be tough for India to choose between Jitesh and Samson as both players have a case to be picked. The fact that the latter made his maiden international century recently could be a factor in his favor, although that was in a different format. India could go either way with this call.

Rinku Singh, who has become India's premier finisher with a series of stellar knocks in T20Is, will round off the batters. Axar Patel, meanwhile, is likely to be picked ahead of Washington Sundar as the frontline finger-spinning all-rounder.

---

Lower Order: Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav

Arshdeep Singh [right] will need to come up with a good series

India have picked only three pacers in the squad, and without a genuine pace-bowling all-rounder, all three are bound to play. Arshdeep Singh, Mukesh Kumar and Avesh Khan will be the hosts' pace trio.

Kuldeep Yadav and Ravi Bishnoi have both done well for India in the recent past. Bishnoi was the Player of the Series against Australia, while Kuldeep picked up a five-fer in South Africa. The latter performance is more recent, and Kuldeep might thus be persisted with.