Irfan Pathan Picks His Best India 11 for the First T20I Against South Africa

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Irfan Pathan Picks His Best India 11 for the First T20I Against South Africa: The exciting five-match T20 International series between India and South Africa is set to begin at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack. Ahead of this highly anticipated clash, former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan has revealed his preferred playing XI for the first T20. Pathan's selection has sparked some interesting debate, particularly regarding his focus on strengthening the lower-order batting.

Top Order: Abhishek and Gill

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Speaking on his YouTube channel, Irfan Pathan has picked young Abhishek Sharma and vice-captain Shubman Gill, who is returning from a neck injury, as his opening batsmen. He believes this pair can provide the team with a strong start.

The middle order will be anchored by captain Suryakumar Yadav and young sensation Tilak Varma. Pathan specifically emphasized Shubman Gill, stating that this series is "extremely crucial" for him to cement his place in the T20 format.

Even though Gill is considered a player for all three formats based on his IPL performance, his place in the national team is yet to be secured.

– Irfan Pathan

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Jitesh Sharma over Samson

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The most surprising aspect of Pathan's selection is the exclusion of wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson. In his place, Pathan has included young finisher and wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma.

Pathan argues that with Hardik Pandya returning from injury, the team desperately needs a power-hitter in the lower order (number six or below) who can consistently maintain a strike rate of over 170.

Pathan believes that Jitesh Sharma is a better fit than Samson for the 'finisher' role, providing the team with the necessary batting depth, even if it slightly limits India's batting at number eight.

Strong Bowling Attack

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In the bowling department, Pathan has prioritized a combination of four bowlers, led by the experienced Jasprit Bumrah and left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh.

The spin bowling responsibilities will be handled by wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav and mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy. Additionally, all-rounders Axar Patel and Hardik Pandya will provide extra bowling options. Pathan's focus has been on prioritizing bowling options that can take wickets.

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Irfan Pathan's Playing XI for the First T20 Match

Serial No.	Player	Role
1.	Abhishek Sharma	Opening Batsman
2.	Shubman Gill	Opening Batsman
3.	Suryakumar Yadav	Captain / Middle-order Batsman
4.	Tilak Varma	Middle-order Batsman
5.	Hardik Pandya	All-rounder
6.	Jitesh Sharma	Wicketkeeper / Finisher
7.	Axar Patel	All-rounder
8.	Varun Chakravarthy	Spinner
9.	Kuldeep Yadav	Spinner
10.	Arshdeep Singh	Fast Bowler
11.	Jasprit Bumrah	Fast Bowler

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