IND vs AUS 1st T20I: Parthiv Patel Picks India’s Playing XI — Leaves Out a Key Spinner

On October 29, in Canberra, India will take on Australia in the very first T20 International of the five-match series. Former Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Parthiv Patel has disclosed his favored playing XI for the first game, which has ignited controversy by dropping a very important Indian player.

Suryakumar Yadav-led India will try to recover after being defeated in the recent ODI series by a score of 1–2 against Australia. The T20 series is a chance to turn the tide before the next T20 World Cup.

Predicted India XI by Parthiv Patel

Patel has opted for an equal mix of six top batsmen, three all-rounders, one spinner, and two fast bowlers.

Among his representatives are:

Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Axar Patel, Shivam Dubey, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, and Arshdeep Singh.

Solid Opening and Middle Order

Patel backed the in-form opening pair of Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill, with Tilak Varma slotted in at No. 3. He expects the captain Suryakumar Yadav to anchor the innings at No. 4, followed by Sanju Samson, who will also handle the wicketkeeping duties.

"Abhishek and Tilak are in tremendous touch right now. Their form could be the key to India’s batting success," Patel said.

Of note, Abhishek Sharma was a standout performer in the Asia Cup 2025, scoring 314 runs in seven matches at a strike rate of 200, while Tilak Varma scored 213 runs in six innings, averaging 71.

Patel’s Unexpected Omission

Parthiv Patel’s choice turned heads when he did not include Kuldeep Yadav, India’s top wrist-spinner, and instead of Chakravarthy as the only specialist spinner. Patel stated that apart from all-rounders Axar Patel, Shivam Dubey, and Nitish Kumar Reddy, who are able to further support both batting and bowling.

Patel's pace-bowling duo consists of Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh because of their skills to deal with both the new ball and death overs.

India's Strong Comeback is on the Agenda

India, having lost the ODI series, will be very keen to go into the T20 series with a win. Under the captaincy of Suryakumar Yadav, the team has just been crowned Asia Cup 2025, and their spirits are still high.

India have always had a good record in T20Is played in Australia, with the record of winning seven out of eleven matches. With the presence of new talented players performing exceedingly well, the Blue Men are expected to make their presence felt in Canberra.