India are set to take on England in the fifth of five T20Is on July 11 at the Rose Bowl in Southampton. They trail 3-0, having been beaten in all games after the first T20I in Chester-le-Street was washed out.
Fortunes for the reigning T20 World Cup champions have been on a downward spiral of late, with the team struggling to cope with conditions in England and Ireland. The batters have struggled with the extra bounce, and the bowlers have been unable to exploit the helpful conditions. With a few gaping holes posing question marks about how the players could cope with different conditions, we look at players who have been omitted from the T20I side but could make a case as India look to build a better team for all conditions.
Here are 3 names who deserve a second chance for India in T20Is:
3. Bhuvneshwar Kumar
The experienced Bhuvneshwar Kumar has shown his class in the two IPL seasons since moving to the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. In 2025 and 2026, Bhuvneshwar was the team’s lead bowler and kept picking up wickets in key moments. He picked up 17 wickets in 2025 and was the second-highest wicket-taker in 2026 with 28 scalps as RCB defended their crown and became the third team to win successive titles.
A feared new-ball bowler, Bhuvneshwar has added the wobble ball to his arsenal, using it to brilliant effect in the 2026 season. With the next T20 World Cup set to be played in Australia, where the likes of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Scott Boland have wreaked havoc with the wobble ball, Bhuvneshwar’s addition could add more threat and dimension to India’s attack.
2. Mohammed Siraj
A regular for India in both the longer formats, Mohammed Siraj is one of the most determined bowlers in the world and has time and again shown his reliability for the team in crunch situations. Siraj has had a stellar year in the IPL, picking up 19 wickets in 17 matches, forming a successful new-ball pair with Kagiso Rabada. Siraj’s last T20I appearance for India was in the opening game of the T20 World Cup as an injury replacement for Jasprit Bumrah.
With India looking for bowlers who can perform in all conditions, they should look no further than Siraj. The seamer has shown impeccable skill with the new ball and has the hit-the-deck ability to bowl in all phases of the innings. He also has a potent wobble ball, which could prove vital in conditions like Australia and England.
1. Shubman Gill
With the Indian batters’ failings in England coming from being unable to cope with the extra bounce on English surfaces and their need to go after the bowling, questions arise over the need for an anchor at the top, who could ride the new ball spells while also scoring at a reasonable rate. In the situation that they find themselves in, the name of Shubman Gill stands out as a viable option.
Gill has had a stellar IPL campaign, scoring 732 runs at a strike rate of 163.03 as the Gujarat Titans made the final. He has shown his acumen to anchor the innings through tough phases while being able to score at a brisk pace. He last featured for the T20I side in January of 2026 but lost his place due to poor form. His ability to play shots against extra bounce and keep scoring against hostile bowling would make him a viable candidate at the top. His inclusion would also help India break the dominance of left-handers that has plagued their top order in the recent past.