The Indian cricket team landed in NZ last week for the India VS NZ T20I and ODI series. The Indian T20I team will be led by Hardik Pandya in the absence of Rohit Sharma. Both will be looking to make a comeback to the international setup after having a decent performance at the ICC T20 World Cup. The Indian team, in particular, will be keen on giving all the young players the opportunity to express themselves. Rohit, Rahul, and Virat are not members of the squad. Bumrah has also been rested. Here is an in-depth look:
Preview of the Indian Team before India VS NZ, 1st T20I:
The Indian team is not on a roll but is not significantly struggling too. After the thumping loss at the hands of England in the World Cup 2022 Semi-Final, the team will be re-grouping and will be assessing where they went wrong. The team will analyze and will be keen to make a comeback on the field. The last time in 2020 when India came to New Zealand, they beat the Kiwis by 5-0 in the T20Is. Hardik Pandya, Sanju Samson, and Surya will be the key batters. Bowling will be led by Bhuvi. The India VS NZ, 1st T20I will test the Indian bowlers.
Indian Squad:
Hardik Pandya (c), Rishabh Pant (VC), Ishan Kishan, Shubman Gill, Deepak Hooda, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Sanju Samson, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik
Playing XI:
Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant, Washington Sundar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal.
Preview of the NZ Team before India VS NZ, 2nd T20I:
The New Zealand team is also in the same boat as the Indian team, but the only difference is that they are not playing a fresh squad. Due to a lack of depth, they cannot afford to rest their senior pros. Kane will be leading the Blackcaps. Their key players in this series will be Glenn Phillips and Fin Allen with the bat. Glenn is in the form of his life. And Fin Allen is looking to make a mark. With the ball, it has always been Lockie Ferguson since his debut. The India VS NZ, 1st T20I will test NZ bowlers.
New Zealand Playing XI:
Finn Allen, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Adam Milne, Lockie Ferguson, Blair Tickner
Venue and Timings of India VS NZ 1st T20I:
The game is going to be played in Wellington. A delayed start is expected because light showers are predicted. The whole game might not be hampered but there might be a delay at the beginning of the game. The game begins at noon Indian Standard Time. It will begin at 7:00 pm local time. The broadcasting partner is Amazon Prime. The game can be live-streamed on that platform.
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