Ireland Vs India: Here's the probable India XI for 1st T20I in Dublin

Dublin, June 26: Team India are gearing up for a long summer with a two-match T20I rubber against Ireland, starting June 27 (Wednesday) in Malahide on the outskirts of Dublin.

Virat Kohli and his team would look to start their campaign with a win and set the pace for a gruelling tour in the United Kingdom.

Ireland Vs India 1st T20I: Preview Ireland Vs India 1st T20I: Preview

While the contingent had arrived from Delhi on Saturday they began their first training session on-tour on Monday (June 25) at the Merchants Taylor School cricket ground in London.

Ireland have never beaten India in any format (3 ODIs and 1 T20I), but the effervescent Irish side would be hoping to pose a challenge to this Indian team for they have nothing to lose.

Training ✅

An intense training session for #TeamIndia ahead of the two T20Is against Ireland.#IREvIND pic.twitter.com/sRqE0F1P26
— BCCI (@BCCI) June 26, 2018

India, on the other hand, would look to start their campaign with a back-to-back win against the inexperienced Ireland side to get into the grooves ahead of the limited-overs series against England.

England recently whitewashed Australia in the 5-match ODI series and further established themselves as the most destructive limited-overs side.

Games against Ireland would act as a perfect dress rehearsal for Virat Kohli and Co. ahead of the main threat posed by Eoin Morgan and his boys.

However, it remains to be seen who all are picked for the T20I series against Ireland for there are quite a few contenders. While the opening department will be taken care of by Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan, Kohli faces a problem of plenty in the middle order.

Here's how India's probable XI might look like in the first T20I against Ireland:

Openers - Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma

The opening pair of Rohit and Shikhar have been doing exceptionally well for India in the limited-overs' series. Coach Ravi Shastri and skipper Kohli would be hoping both these batsmen get acclimatised with the conditions and get into their grooves.

Dhawan, who smashed a quickfire ton against Afghanistan in the one-off Test against Afghanistan in Bengaluru, is in red-hot form and must be rearing to continue with the same intensity.

Rohit didn't have a decent outing in the IPL 2018, he must be eager to get some runs under his belt and what better way to get back into form than an opponent against Ireland.

Middle-order

Skipper Kohli would come out to bat at No. 3 followed by KL Rahul, MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina. India's middle order looks very destructive and if it plays to its potential then no target is beyond their reach.

Rahul, who had a memorable outing with the bat in the IPL, would be awarded for his sublime form in the limited-overs format and therefore Dinesh Karthik, who won India the Nidahas Trophy in Sri Lanka, might be benched.

The experienced duo of Dhoni-Raina would come in to bat at No. 5 and 6 for India. The seasoned campaigners from Chennai Super Kings, who were crowned IPL 2018 champions, will be an integral part of India's middle-order in the limited-overs series in the United Kingdom.

All-rounder Hardik Pandya will be batting in lower-down the order but the right-handed explosive batsman could also be used as a floater whenever needed.

Spinners - Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav

The wrist-spin duo of Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav will be leading the spin department against Ireland.

The youngsters would be hoping to get used to the conditions there and get into the grooves as soon as possible.

Both these spinners played a crucial role in India's triumph in the limited-overs' series against South Africa, earlier this year.

Pacers - Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah

Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah are back into the side after being rested for the one-off Test against Afghanistan.

India's best fast bowlers in the limited-overs format would be looking to exploit the conditions that are likely to favour pace.

Both Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar are going to be the key to India's success in the United Kingdom.

If Ireland comes up with a green top, then Kohli might even opt to play an extra pacer instead of two spinners. In such a scenario, Umesh Yadav might also get to earn a spot in the Playing XI on Wednesday.