IND vs NZ: Five players to watch out for in the T20I series
The Indian side will take on New Zealand in a three-match T20I series. The Indian side will be without regulars like Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja for this series, and this will also be the first time that Rohit Sharma will lead the Indian T20I side as a full-time captain.
On the other hand, Kane Williamson will lead the New Zealand side. There are several match-winners on both sides, and we are in for a cracker of a series. On that note, let us take a look at 5 players to watch out for in the series between the two sides.
5. Martin Guptill
Martin Guptill is currently the second-highest run-scorer in T20Is. The New Zealand batting legend has scored 3119 runs in T20I cricket and has scored his runs at an average of 32.15 and a strike rate of 136.49.
The right-handed batsman needs another 109 runs to go past Virat Kohli and become the highest run-scorer in the history of T20I cricket.
4. Daryl Mitchell
Daryl Mitchell has had the spotlight on him with the way he has batted in the 2021 edition of the T20 World Cup. The right-hander has scored 197 runs in the tournament and has scored his runs at an average of 39.40 and a strike rate of 140.71.
Mitchell played a vital role in helping New Zealand qualify for the summit clash of the tournament with a superb 72* at the top of the order in the semifinal fixture against England. He will look to continue his rich vein of form in the T20I series against the Indian side.
3. Harshal Patel
Harshal Patel was outstanding with the ball in the 2021 edition of the IPL. The right-arm pacer scalped a whopping 32 wickets in the tournament and won the Purple Cap award. Patel took his wickets at an average of just 14.34. He will be making his debut for India in the T20I series against New Zealand and will look to start his career with a bang.
2. Ruturaj Gaikwad
Ruturaj Gaikwad won the Orange Cap award in the 2021 edition of the IPL. The right-hander was in superb form in the tournament and plundered 635 runs in 16 innings for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) side at an average of 45.36 and a strike rate of 136.27. Gaikwad will look to stamp his authority with the bat when he takes the field against the Kiwis at home in the three-match T20I series.
1. Rohit Sharma
This assignment will be Rohit Sharma’s first as the full-time T20I skipper of the Indian side and the spotlight will be on the Hitman. Sharma will look to start his stint by scoring a victory in the home series against Kane Williamson and his men. Rohit has also recorded 28 fifty-plus scores in T20I cricket, and if he records 2 more such scores, he will go past Virat Kohli and will become the batter with the most fifty-plus scores in the T20I format of the game.
