3 changes India should consider for the 5th T20I vs Australia ft. Rinku Singh

India will lock horns with Australia in the fifth and final T20I on Saturday, November 7. The encounter will be contested at The Gabba in Brisbane.

The Men in Blue have recovered from some early hiccups in the rubber and currently hold a 2-1 lead. While the series is not in the bag yet, indicating that they might not want to disturb a winning combination, a two-Test series against South Africa will start next week.

With that in mind, India might need to prioritize the workloads of certain key red-ball players. Moreover, handing out opportunities in the lead-up to the 2026 T20 World Cup could also be on the cards.

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 are three changes India should consider for the fifth T20I against Australia.

#3 Rinku Singh for Tilak Varma

Australia v India - T20 Series: Game 3 - Source: Getty

Tilak Varma has played a few statement knocks in T20Is, but outside them, he has been pedestrian. His strike rate doesn't make for pretty reading, and he has been bogged down by both spin and pace through the middle overs.

India are unable to guarantee him his ideal entry point, which seems to be inside or just after the powerplay. In the previous game, Tilak batted at No. 5 and couldn't impress, as has been the case often in recent times.

Rinku Singh has been warming the bench for a while now, and giving him his ideal middle-order role could be perfect for the team. This would allow Suryakumar Yadav to bat at No. 4, with Shivam Dube and Axar Patel taking up the next two spots in the lineup.

#2 Harshit Rana for Jasprit Bumrah

Australia v India - T20 Series: Game 4 - Source: Getty

India will need Jasprit Bumrah to take on the Proteas at home. The ace pacer has featured in all matches so far, and although his workload hasn't been too high, the Men in Blue might want to tread with utmost caution.

Harshit Rana, who was dropped for Arshdeep Singh after the first two matches in the series, could return to the fold in Bumrah's place. This would give the young fast bowler a good opportunity to make a name for himself in the shortest format while allowing Bumrah to avoid the short turnaround time between the fourth and fifth T20Is.

#1 Nitish Kumar Reddy for Shivam Dube

Australia v India - T20 Series: Game 4 - Source: Getty

India bowling coach Morne Morkel claimed that Nitish Kumar Reddy has recovered from the injury that kept him out of the first half of the series. He too is in the Test squad to face South Africa, but he should be raring to go after some time on the bench.

Reddy could replace Shivam Dube for the final T20I as India attempt to try out players in various roles in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup. The young fast-bowling all-rounder could be a like-for-like swap, with Dube performing similar roles in both departments.

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Edited by Sai Krishna