Kris Srikkanth picks India’s playing XI for 1st T20I vs England

Kris Srikkanth picked his ideal Team India playing XI for the first T20I against England, which will be held at the Riverside Ground in Chester-le-Street on Wednesday, July 1.

The Men in Blue will look to make a strong comeback under Shreyas Iyer's leadership after they lost the two-match T20I series against Ireland earlier this month. Srikkanth, while naming his team for the first T20I against the Three Lions (via his YouTube channel, Cheeky Cheeka), picked the same top six as the one that played against Ireland.

Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, Tilak Varma, and Shivam Dube formed the top six in Srikkanth's line-up. Varun Chakaravarthy has rejoined the side after returning from injury. The former India captain named the Tamil Nadu mystery spinner in the side along with spin-bowling all-rounder Axar Patel.

In the seam-bowling department, the former India chief selector picked the trio of Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, and Prince Yadav.

Kris Srikkanth's Team India playing XI for 1st T20I vs England: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Prince Yadav.

Srikkanth believes that India made an error by not playing Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the second T20I against Ireland. The cricketer-turned-expert opined that Abhishek Sharma could have been rested after he scored a half-century in the first T20I.

"He (Suryavanshi) should have 100% played the second T20I against Ireland. Abhishek Sharma should have been rested as he got a brilliant 50 in the first match. Instead of him, Suryavanshi should have played. Abhishek Sharma is a certainty anyway so Vaibhav Suryavanshi could have got a chance to play in the second Ireland match," said Srikkanth (via the aforementioned source).

Sunil Gavaskar wants Sooryavanshi to play 1st T20I vs ENG

Srikkanth said that because Sooryavanshi didn't get a game against Ireland, he won't pick him in the playing XI at least for the first two T20Is against England.

"For all you know, he might have won them the game because he has performed well in difficult conditions in the IPL. But now that he hasn't played against Ireland, I won't play him in the first two T20Is against England," he stated.