England vs India, 2018: How Virat Kohli's side may line up for 3rd T20I

Alex Hales-powered England shocked the Indian team in the second T20I to level the series 1-1. With a win in the first T20I, India were the favorites for the second T20I. However, Hales was in no mood to surrender as he steered England to a win in the last over of the match.

Now, with the series nicely poised at 1-1, the contest moves to the beautiful city of Bristol which will decide the fate of the series.

Thus, with a series decider on the cards, the Indian team would be looking forward to churning out the best possible XI for the third T20I match.

India's squad for T20I series against England: Virat Kohli (C), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Lokesh Rahul, Suresh Raina, Manish Pandey, MS Dhoni (WK), Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Deepak Chahar, Siddarth Kaul, and Umesh Yadav.

Thus, let us look at how Virat Kohli's side may line up for the third T20I against England.

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Openers: Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma

Although the Indian openers have failed to make an impact in this series, the Indian management is not expected to tinker the opening combination.

Of late, Shikhar Dhawan has been in decent form. However, he has not been able to convert his starts and has thrown away his wicket quite a few times. Thus, come the final T20I against England, Dhawan would be hoping to strike back his golden form and put up a good show for the Indian team in Bristol.

Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma has been struggling to find the right rhythm. Although he scored a decent 30-ball 32 against England in the first T20I, he was seen struggling to adapt to the conditions. The case was no better in the second T20I where he failed to make good contact with the ball and ended up tossing the ball up in the air. Hence, in the third T20I Rohit would be looking forward to gaining the confidence before the start of the ODI series.

Middle order: KL Rahul, Virat Kohli (C), and Suresh Raina

The Indian middle-order looks more or less settled. KL Rahul is expected to hold the No.3 spot. Rahul demolished the English bowling line-up in the first T20I in Manchester where he scored an unbeaten ton while helped India to get over the line. However, he had a quiet outing in the previous match when he failed to make his presence felt and perished cheaply.

The Indian skipper, Virat Kohli, would be looking forward to maintaining his good form in the third T20I. Kohli top-scored for the visitors with 47 to his name. Kohli looked in a good tempo which came as good news for the Indian team ahead of the long tour.

Suresh Raina has wonderfully reconciled to the demands of the Indian team. He had a decent outing in the previous match against England. Thus, Raina is most likely to retain his place in the Indian team.

Wicketkeeper and All-rounder: MS Dhoni and Hardik Pandya

MS Dhoni seems to have travelled back in age. For past several years, he has been the crisis-man for the Indian team. And once again he proved to be vital for the Indian team as he played an impactful inning in the second T20I match. Hence, MS Dhoni's place in the playing XI needs no vindication.

Hardik Pandya has grown in stature as a batsman and a bowler. He has worked hard to balance both the sides of the coin. He has thrown in some decent performances in recent past, both with the ball as well as bat. Thus, Pandya is here to stay in the playing XI for the third T20I against England.

Spinners: Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal

The magical spin duo, fondly known as KulCha, is expected to field the place in the playing XI.

Kuldeep Yadav demolished the English batting line-up in the first T20I when his five-wicket haul paralyzed England's hopes in the first T20I. However, the Englishmen seemed to have done their homework for the second T20I as they kept Kuldeep quiet for the whole of the game.

On the other hand, Chahal has also done a fair bit in this series. Nonetheless, he is capable of much more than what he has done in this series.

Thus, both, Kuldeep and Chahal, would be looking forward to bouncing back in the third T20I and help India win the series.

Pace Bowlers: Umesh Yadav and Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Umesh Yadav has been fantastic with the new ball for the Indian team. He has been providing early breakthroughs which has helped the Indian team to dominate the opposition early on in the innings. Thus, with raw pace on his side, Umesh is expected to retain his place in the playing XI.

Barring the final over against England in the second T20I, Bhuvneshwar Kumar had a brilliant match. With Jasprit Bumrah injured, the onus has been on the experienced Bhuvneshwar to spearhead the fast bowling. Hence, he is expected to field in the playing XI for the third T20I against England.

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