Krunal Pandya could be in line for a T20I debut as India include him in the 12-member squad which was announced on the eve of the 1st T20I match against West Indies.
Rohit Sharma was appointed the captain of the side as the selectors gave a break to Virat Kohli. Also, there will be no MS Dhoni behind the stumps, and Rohit believes that this gives Rishabh Pant a great chance to establish his credentials.
"Dhoni has been such a massive player for us, over the years. His experience in the middle will be missed but again Rishabh (Pant) and Dinesh (Karthik) have great opportunity to come and perform and show what they are capable of as well. It gives them an opportunity to express themselves," Rohit told reporters on the eve of the game.
India's 12-member squad:
Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (wk), Manish Pandey, Dinesh Karthik, Krunal Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Khaleel Ahmed, Yuzvendra Chahal
Rohit also said that despite the series being T20, India would continue to identify players for different roles leading into the World Cup and the young blokes coming into the side have a great chance to prove their mettle.
"It's very important because the amount of cricket we play, at the same time we got to see what our bench strength is. The players we are talking of are possible replacements to come and fill in. We have to see the guys who are knocking the door and what they bring to the table," he said.
West Indies, on the other hand, have a few things to sort out before the game. Their star all-rounder Andre Russell is under an injury cloud and he even missed the net-session.
"No comments (on Andre Russell). There will be an official update," West Indies media manager told media at the news conference.
