Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has revealed his preferred Indian Cricket Team playing XI for the upcoming first T20I against Australia, scheduled for Wednesday, October 29, at the Manuka Oval in Canberra. In his lineup, Pathan left out Nitish Kumar Reddy and Kuldeep Yadav, opting instead for a pace-heavy combination suited to Australian conditions.
India Seek Redemption After ODI Series Defeat
Team India, led by Shubman Gill, will look to bounce back after a disappointing ODI series loss to Australia. The hosts clinched the first two matches by seven and two wickets, respectively, before sealing a nine-wicket win in the final game. With the T20I series beginning, India aim to regain momentum and confidence ahead of the next ICC events.
Pathan’s Top Order: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill Lead the Charge
Pathan picked Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill as openers. Gill, who struggled in the Asia Cup, will hope to find form on Australian pitches. Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav (captain) are slotted at No.3 and No.4, respectively. Both youngsters were standout performers during the Asia Cup 2025, with Abhishek scoring 314 runs at a strike rate of 200 and Tilak contributing 213 runs in six innings.
Middle Order and All-Round Options
Sanju Samson was named as the wicketkeeper-batter, while Axar Patel and Shivam Dube were included as the team’s all-rounders. Pathan emphasized that both can provide balance to the lineup with bat and ball.
Varun Chakaravarthy Over Kuldeep Yadav
With Hardik Pandya sidelined by injury, Pathan opted for a pace-dominated attack comprising Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, and Harshit Rana. For the lone specialist spinner slot, he chose Varun Chakaravarthy over Kuldeep Yadav, citing the former’s ability to bowl in the powerplay and add a “mystery element” to India’s bowling unit.
Pathan on Team Balance
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Pathan said Harshit Rana’s cameo in the second ODI gave the management confidence in his batting abilities lower down the order.
“If Harshit plays at No.8, India’s order till No.7 looks strong with two all-rounders—Dube and Axar—who can together deliver six overs,” Pathan noted. “Then you can play two frontline pacers in Arshdeep and Jasprit. As for the spinner, I’m leaning toward Chakaravarthy because he can bowl in the powerplay. But if the team management prefers Kuldeep, that’s also not a big issue.”
Irfan Pathan’s Predicted India XI for 1st T20I vs Australia
Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson (WK), Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy
India will hope this combination helps them start the T20I series on a winning note against a confident Australian side.