India's predicted playing XI for the 1st T20I vs Australia ft. Shivam Dube & Arshdeep Singh

India are all set to face off against Australia in the first T20I at the Manuka Oval in Canberra on Wednesday, October 29. The Men in Blue are on the back of a 2-1 loss in the preceding three-match ODI series.

India have been in an excellent run of form in the shortest format lately. They clinched the 2025 Asia Cup in fairly comfortable fashion and are also the defending champions of the T20 World Cup. The visitors aren't expected to change too much of the side that has brought them success recently.

India’s T20I squad for the Australia tour: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill (vice-captain), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Sanju Samson (wk), Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar.

On that note, here is India's predicted playing XI for the first T20I against Australia.

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Openers: Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma

India v New Zealand: Final - ICC Champions Trophy 2025 - Source: Getty

India have thrown their weight behind Shubman Gill despite his indifferent performances in the 2025 Asia Cup. The vice-captain will take first strike alongside Abhishek Sharma, who is in red-hot form.

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Middle Order: Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Sanju Samson (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy

Asia Cup Cricket - Source: Getty

Hardik Pandya's absence leaves a huge void, and India could look to fix it by picking Nitish Kumar Reddy in a like-for-like swap. Reddy has been adjudged fit after missing the third ODI with a quad strain.

The rest of the middle order could wear a similar look. Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav will make up the rest of the top four, with the latter under some pressure to find runs. Shivam Dube, Sanju Samson and Axar Patel batted out of position for most of the Asia Cup, but India are expected to stick with them for now.

Rinku Singh and Jitesh Sharma could be on the bench to start the series. There is a chance that the Men in Blue will replace either Reddy or Dube with a specialist seamer in the form of Harshit Rana, but that would deplete their batting depth and is against the approach they have undertaken in recent times.

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Lower Order: Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy

India v Pakistan - Asia Cup Final - Source: Getty

Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh will be India's frontline fast bowlers in Canberra, while Varun Chakaravarthy is likely to be picked ahead of Kuldeep Yadav as the specialist spinner. Leaving Kuldeep out seems to be a bad idea, but with depth and pace options in mind, India might go down that familiar route.