Rinku Singh vs Jitesh Sharma - who should India pick in the playing XI for the 1st T20I vs Ireland? 

Team India's fringe players have an excellent opportunity to showcase their abilities at the international level and book their place in the playing XI following the impending transition. The Men in Blue, led by Jasprit Bumrah, are set to take on Ireland in a three-match T20I series, with the first fixture set to be played at the Malahide Cricket Club ground in Dublin on Friday.

A lot of spots are up for grabs with suitable candidates and competition both being evident. Despite a vast change in personnel, the team will be on the lookout to bounce back from the recent T20I series defeat at the hands of West Indies.

However, the 3-2 loss certainly answers a lot of questions surrounding certain players and their place in the playing XI. A lot of new faces will represent India in this series and their ultimate aim will be to oust the players in the first-choice playing XI and cement their spot. The motive becomes all the more crucial, especially with the 2024 T20 World Cup only 10 months away.

Among the new faces are Rinku Singh and Jitesh Sharma. Both players have been exceptional in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with their lower-order pinch-hitting in recent seasons.

On that note, let us take a look at who between Rinku Singh and Jitesh Sharma should be included in Team India's playing XI for the first T20I against Ireland.

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Balance and variety

Both Rinku and Jitesh are of a similar profile - handy and capable aggressive batters in the lower order. Their finishing ability has been brilliant in recent times and their call-ups are a testament to this fact.

They both boast high strike rates and operate in the death overs. While they are more than capable of batting high up the order, the current squad composition won't require them to do so.

The left-handed vs right-handed debate does not hold as much value when it comes to the lower order when compared to the top or middle order, but it is an aspect that needs to be considered.

Rinku Singh, as a left-handed batter, is a tempting option to forge an entirely left-handed middle order along with Tilak Varma and Shivam Dube.

Even though the sample data is far from enough, Rinkuhas scored 12 runs off eight deliveries without losing his wicket against Josh Little. The left-arm pacer, being Ireland's best bowler, will be their chief candidate for the death overs as well.

The match-up will be an interesting one to witness if all of the stars align.

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Recent form

Rinku Singh had a breakthrough IPL 2023 season and was the Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) best player by a landslide margin. He scored 474 runs in 14 innings at a strike rate of 149.53.

Even more recently, he represented the Central Zone in domestic competitions - Deodhar Trophy and Duleep Trophy. He smashed a fifty against East Zone and scored some runs on the domestic circuit, but nothing noteworthy. However, he has not played a T20 contest since the end of the IPL season.

Jitesh Sharma, on the other hand, got his maiden Team India call-up during the home white-ball series against Sri Lanka earlier in the year after Sanju Samson sustained a knee injury.

However, he is yet to make his debut and the Ireland series proves to be an excellent avenue for the same. The wicket-keeper batter scored 309 runs in 14 innings at a strike rate of 156.06 in the 2023 IPL, which marks his most recent competitive cricketing action.

Rinku Singh pips Jitesh Sharma at this aspect, given that his IPL campaign was something out of this world and arguably warrants an international appearance.

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X-Factor

Jitesh Sharma proves to be a solid wicketkeeping option as well, but Team India are covered in that aspect with Sanju Samson in the squad. Jitesh has outfield experience, which was witnessed in IPL 2022 when Punjab Kings (PBKS) had Jonny Bairstow as their keeper.

Rinku Singh is a gun fielder and is extremely proficient in the field, and highly reliable when it comes to catching as well as ground fielding. He actually made an impression as a fielder first and then as a batter during his early days for KKR, coming in as a substitute fielder occasionally.

While it may not seem significant in the grand scheme of things, it is unquestionably an important aspect that needs to be considered.

Who will make their Team India debut first between Rinku Singh and Jitesh Sharma? Let us know what you think.