World T20 and Asia Cup: Who'll make the cut for Team India squad?

India's preparation for the upcoming ICC World T20 has been stellar with the recent 3-0 clean sweep against the world champions Australia coming in handy.

The MS Dhoni brigade - comprising the veterans and some new faces - performed consistently to rise to the no. 1 spot in the T20 rankings.

But, while their win down under will surely boost the morale of the Indian team, this has also made the task for the Indian selectors a lot tougher.

As the BCCI selection committee meets in New Delhi on 5 February to pick the Indian squad for the Asia Cup and World T20, finding the perfect balance for the team with their recent success in Australia will undoubtedly be the focal point.

With prominent names likely to hold their position, a lot of youngsters are also in fray to make the cut for the national team. Manish Pandey and Jasprit Bumrah are the two young guns who have impressed the selectors following their comprehensive performances during the Australia tour.

As the selectors get ready to roll the dice to pick the best-suited players, here's a look at the probable Indian squad for the upcoming T20 tournaments:

Top-order

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The Indian top-order has been pivotal in their comprehensive wins against Australia. Rohit Sharma, in particular, has impressed with the bat during the Australia tour. With 143 runs in the T20s and 441 runs in the ODIs down under, the Mumbai batsman is likely to hold his position in the team.

Shikhar Dhawan on the other hand, might not have appeared as convincing as his opening partner, but with 360 runs during the Australian tour, the Delhi southpaw has done enough to maintain his spot in the playing XI.

If the recent performances are anything to go by then Virat Kohli will definitely be the first name you'd pick for the side. The right-hander, who had struggled to score runs in limited-overs cricket last year, amassed 580 runs including five fifties and two hundreds during the recent tour of Australia.

Middle-order

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The Indian middle-order is one area that is likely to make the selectors sweat, considering the multiple options available. The number four spot has long been associated with Ajinkya Rahane whose Australia tour was cut short due to an injury.

Rahane's injury paved way for the young Manish Pandey who proved his worth with an impressive hundred to help India win the fifth ODI against Australia. Pandey's performance also earned him a call-up for the upcoming T20 series against Sri Lanka. But, with Rahane back to full-fitness again, Pandey will have to fight for his position in the middle-order.

Yuvraj Singh, who was also impressive in the limited opportunities he got down under, should also be able to hold his spot in the Indian squad. The availability of Suresh Raina, who was also influential down under, strengthens the Indian middle-order while MS Dhoni has finally proved his worth with the bat during the recent series.

Bowling department

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The spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja proved a tad too expensive during the T20 series, but the two are India's best and safest bet in the spin department. Veteran spinner Harbhajan Singh can also get a look-in, but the availability of Yuvraj can spoil his chances to making the playing XI.

The biggest area of concern for the Indian selectors will be the seam bowling that has struggled over the years in limited-overs cricket. However, the beleaguered Indian seam bowling saw a silver lining in the young Gujarat pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah whose performance down under would have surely impressed the selectors.

Unless Mohammed Shami is fit and recalled, Bumrah's wicket-taking abilities and skills in the death overs will come in handy and compliment the experience and control of Ashish Nehra. With Mohit Sharma back in the fray, the addition of Bhuvneshwar Kumar looks doubtful for the T20 tournaments.