• Source:JND
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After clinching the ODI series 2-1 with a thumping 200-run win in the last match, the focus will shift to the five-match T20I series, starting on Thursday. With a young bunch of players picked in the squad, many IPL stars will get a chance to don the T20I jersey for the first time including the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Verma and Mukesh Kumar.

All-rounder Hardik Pandya will continue to lead India in the T20Is as regular captain Rohit Sharma and star batter Virat Kohli have not played in the format since making the semifinal exit in the T20 World Cup last year.

For the first T20I against West Indies, former India cricketers Aakash Chopra and Sarandeep Singh have picked Axar Patel as first-choice spinner in the playing 11 but both have different picks for the second spinner. Chopra picked Yuzvendra Chahal while Singh opted for in-form Kuldeep Yadav for the series opener.

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Kuldeep was sensational in the three-match ODI series as he bagged eight wickets in the series including four-fer in the opening match.

Speaking about his choice of spinners for the match, JioCinema expert Aakash Chopra said: “With the four spinners available, Axar Patel would be my first choice because he is an all-rounder and is a like-for-like replacement for (Ravindra) Jadeja, and also has done well in the IPL. It’s too difficult to make any of these other spinners sit on the bench. But, I will go with Yuzi Chahal. He is not getting an opportunity to play at all these days.”

“We all know that ‘Chatur Chahal’ name hasn’t been given to him just for the sake of it. He is a chess player, knows how to read the batsmen, reads the situation and bowls. So, I would want to see Axar first, then Yuzi, and along with them Kuldeep Yadav,” he added.

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Former spinner and national selector Sarandeep Singh, who is now a JioCinema expert, said: “The first has to be Axar Patel as he not only bowls, but bats as well and is also a good fielder. Second, the kind of form Kuldeep is in, be it in the IPL or ODI series, the way he has bowled, he should be preferred. So, with Axar Patel you need a Kuldeep Yadav.”

On the other hand, Nikhil Chopra, another JioCinema expert said: “I would want to see Kul-Cha (Kuldeep Yadav and Chahal). When it comes to wicket-taking, a wrist spinner has an influence on good wickets and when we play T20s on these wickets, Kuldeep and Yuzi have that ability to take wickets.”

India's T20I squad: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ishan Kishan(w), Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson, Hardik Pandya(c), Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik, Mukesh Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Avesh Khan, Ravi Bishnoi, Tilak Varma.