3 player battles to watch out for in IND vs NZ 2nd T20I
Team India and hosts New Zealand will both want to put their disappointing semifinal exits from the T20 World Cup behind them when they take each other on.
The two teams will compete in a limited overs series consisting of three T20Is and three ODIs. The second T20I will take place on Sunday, November 20.
The Men in Blue have rested some of their big names and have Hardik Pandya as their stand-in captain for their tour of New Zealand. The Kiwis will still be led by Kane Williamson and they too have taken some tough steps, leaving out Martin Guptill and Trent Boult.
Despite a number of star names missing, there is still an assurance of quality cricket because of the talent that will be on show from both sides.
On that note, let's take a look at three match-ups that could decide the course of the second T20I:
#3 Glenn Phillips vs Yuzvendra Chahal
Glenn Phillips vs Right Arm Spinners in T20s
Average Overall 51.5
Strike Rate Overall 136
Strike Rate against Leg Spinner 146
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Glenn Phillips was simply sensational for the Kiwis in the T20 World Cup Down Under, scoring 201 runs at a fantastic strike rate of 158.26. His standout performance was undoubtedly a hundred against quality spinners from Sri Lanka in Sydney during the Super 12s stage.
Phillips has shown that he has the game to dominate the spinners and his match-up against leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal could be crucial in the upcoming series. Chahal couldn't even get a single game at the T20 World Cup and will be keen to prove a point.
Both will go hard at each other, making it a promising face-off.
#2 Finn Allen vs Arshdeep Singh
🇮🇳❤️ https://t.co/yFhbygUiSa
Although Finn Allen was a bit inconsistent in the T20 World Cup, his 18-ball half-century against Australia was one of the most impressive performances of the tournament. The way he took on the threat of the Australian bowlers in the powerplay gave the Kiwis a much-needed headstart.
Allen tried the same against Pakistan in the semifinals and was dismissed early by some clever bowling from left-armer Shaheen Afridi. This is exactly why Indian pacer Arshdeep Singh will be important.
Arshdeep has been on fire in the past few months and has also shown a knack for picking wickets in the powerplay. If he is able to swing the ball both ways like he has done of late, it could help India dismiss the dangerous Allen early.
#1 Suryakumar Yadav vs Lockie Ferguson
Shane Watson said - "Suryakumar Yadav is my Player of the tournament in this T20 World Cup 2022".
Another Indian who enjoyed a stunning T20 World Cup on an individual level was Suryakumar Yadav. The 32-year-old smashed three half-centuries and is also the No. 1 ranked T20I batter at the moment.
Yadav has shown that he has absolutely no problems facing the speedsters. His sensational 68 off just 40 balls on a tough pitch in Perth against South Africa in the T20 World Cup proved just how good he is against express pace. He stood tall as the rest of the Indian batting failed, leading to a defeat.
This makes his match-up against Lockie Ferguson an interesting one. The Kiwis have used Ferguson as a middle-overs enforcer and he could be up against an in-form Yadav. So far, the right-hander has faced 13 balls from the Kiwi speedster in T20 cricket and has scored 21 runs.
It will be interesting to see whether Yadav continues to dominate express pace or whether Ferguson has a trick up his sleeve to fox the batter.