India going up against New Zealand is always an exciting contest. It is a contest featuring the best of players and a contest that is filled with entertainment. Although the track record of the Indian T20 Team against the Kiwis is not good at the World Stage. This match is certainly going to be decisive. The winner of this game is expected to go through to the semis. This is because the rest of the matches are against second-tier teams and associate nation teams. Here is a look at how the teams shape up before the match: –
India Expected Playing XI: –
India is expected to go either unchanged or will be looking to replace the out-of-form Bhuvneshwar Kumar with the in-form Shardul Thakur. Shardul gives added abilities with the bat as well. This makes the Indian batting tail a bit longer.
Rohit Sharma (VC), KL Rahul, Virat Kohli (C), Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (WK), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohammad Shami, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah.
New Zealand Expected Playing XI: –
New Zealand too is expected to go unchanged. Having only one game up their sleeve doesn’t force them to make several changes. Players like Glenn Phillips and Time Siefert are expected to stand up to their reputations. Snater and Sodhi can be the biggest threats to the opposition.
Martin Guptill, Daryl Mitchell, Kane Williamson (C), Devon Conway, Glenn Phillips, Tim Siefert (WK), James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Trent Boult.
Threats for India: –
The threats for India as usual are the pacers. Especially the left-arm pace from Trent Boult can spoil the party for India. Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul over the years have been dominated by left-arm pacers and the first few overs will be crucial for both teams. Another threat is the Kiwi middle-order lineup. The middle-order includes players like Glenn Phillips, Tim Siefert, and James Neesham. These players haven’t done anything exquisite at the global stage but have a big name in the franchise circuit.
Threats for New Zealand: –
The threat for the Kiwis is the Indian batting core. Rohit, Rahul, and Kohli will be the players who can ruin New Zealand’s day by the sheer presence on the field. The comeback of bowler Hardik Pandya can also be pivotal in the context of the match. The mystery spin of Varun Chakravarthy can come in handy and prove very difficult to tackle.