New Zealand will play India in the first T20I three days after losing the ICC T20 World Cup final. If all of the covid-19 restrictions and travel weren’t enough, they’ll be looking for a fresh start as they prepare for the 2022 World Cup, which begins in only 11 months.
It won’t be surprising if the Kiwis play with a lack of effort or intensity, as they may find it difficult to mentally recover after their loss in the T20 World Cup Final. India, on the other hand, will be aiming for a clean slate under a new captain and coach following a disastrous World Cup group stage exit. The players have been obliged to continue on the road to the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia. New Zealand, on the other hand, can’t afford to think about it because they’ll be up against an Indian team, hungry for vengeance, after an early exit from the same World Cup, which was aided in part by a loss to New Zealand.
Head to Head
The battle of top T20 Batters
Both India and New Zealand will be hoping for a strong start in the powerplay from their explosive openers. On the overall T20I run-tally, Martin Guptill (3147) and Rohit (3038) are second and third, respectively. They both have a chance to pass Virat Kohli, who currently leads the run charts with 3227 runs. KL Rahul will be seeking to build on his World Cup performances. Tim Seifert has thoroughly loved his time against India, averaging 46.66 and striking at 156.42 in eight innings.
The inception of a new era
Rohit Sharma as T20 captain
Rohit Sharma has captained a total of 153 T20 matches, winning 94 of them and losing 55. These figures are significantly better than Virat Kohli’s, who won 93 of his 189 T20 matches as a captain. Rohit has captained India in 19 matches, winning 15 of them. Even though Rohit Sharma is no stranger to the role of a captain, this will feel like new ground for him. He will no longer be a backup captain, and for the first time, he will captain India in full-time T20I matches with his coaching staff completely rebuilt as well.
Rahil Dravid as Head Coach
With Rohit Sharma as captain and Rahul Dravid as a coach, and several first-choice players enjoying a well-deserved rest, this is a new-look Indian team. When asked about the rigorous schedule, India head coach Rahul Dravid remarked that the management is already looking into methods to create breaks for the players. However, India’s depth in cricket means that it may still field a quality team that will start as favorites, especially at home.
Probable XI
New Zealand: Daryl Mitchell, Martin Guptill, Mark Chapman, Glenn Phillips, Tim Seifert (wk), James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Adam Milne/Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee (c), Ish Sodhi, Trent Boult.
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Ishan Kishan, KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (wk), R Ashwin, Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Deepak Chahar, Yuzvendra Chahal.