IND vs NZ 2022: 4 Indian cricketers who have a lot to prove in the upcoming India vs New Zealand T20I series
With their T20 World Cup 2022 journey coming to an end in rather unwanted fashion, the Indian cricket team will soon have to shift focus to their next assignment, a white ball tour of New Zealand, which will begin with a three-match T20I series. The games will be played in Wellington (November 18), Mount Maunganui (November 20) and Napier (November 22).
India and New Zealand have met each other 20 times in T20Is, with India winning nine of those games and the Kiwis an equal number. Two India-New Zealand T20Is have ended in a tie. Interestingly, both of these games were played during India’s tour of New Zealand in 2020. The Men in Blue won the Super Over on both occasions.
Team India were at full-strength during their previous visit to New Zealand. With seniors like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul have been rested for the upcoming T20Is, we look at four players who will be keen to prove a point against the Kiwis.
#1 Yuzvendra Chahal
Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal was unlucky not to get a single game during Team India’s T20 World Cup 2022 campaign. In the build-up to the tournament, he was the team’s No.1 spinner in T20I cricket. However, following a few poor games, he was relegated to the bench. Ravichandran Ashwin was preferred over him for the T20 World Cup owing to his batting prowess.
With Ashwin not being picked for the T20Is against the Kiwis, Chahal has an opportunity to win back the confidence of the team management. The 32-year-old, however, does not possess a good record in T20Is in New Zealand. In seven matches, he has claimed four wickets at an average of 59.75.
While New Zealand is not a country where slow bowlers get a lot of purchase, Chahal will still have a key role to play, given he is the main spinner in the team. His battle with Kiwi skipper Kane Williamson could be an interesting one. Williamson is arguably the best player of spin in the opposition camp and might look to take on the leg-spinner. Can Chahal keep the New Zealand captain quiet in conditions that will be challenging for him?
#2 Rishabh Pant
There might have been plenty of clamor for Rishabh Pant’s inclusion ahead of Dinesh Karthik in Team India’s playing XI during the T20 World Cup 2022 campaign, which grew louder as the latter failed to perform. However, the fact remains that DK was the more deserving of the two when it came to getting the first opportunity.
However, with Team India deciding to look beyond 37-year-old DK, Pant has another opportunity to prove his worth in T20I cricket during the upcoming tour of New Zealand. He is definitely much better than someone who averages 23 after 64 matches!
The 25-year-old was part of the T20I squad that played three matches in New Zealand in February 2019. While India lost the series 2-1, Pant made an impact, scoring 40* off 28 in the second T20I and 28 off 12 in the third match. In the upcoming series, his tussle with Kiwi left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner could be a good match-up. Left-arm spinners like Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi have troubled the Indian keeper-batter in recent times.
Santner is coming off an impressive T20 World Cup 2022 campaign, during which he claimed nine wickets in five matches. However, Pant will be keen to prove a point and going after the Kiwi left-arm spinner could be one of the ways to do so.
#3 Harshal Patel
Having failed to impress on his return to the Indian T20I team after recovering from a side strain, Harshal Patel warmed the benches during Team India’s T20 World Cup 2022 campaign in Australia. However, with Mohammed Shami not picked for the New Zealand T20Is, Harshal is likely to be Team India’s death bowler along with Arshdeep Singh.
Before his battle with injury, the 31-year-old pacer was Team India’s designated death bowler in the T20I format. He impressed with his slower balls and variations and made a genuine impact. Harshal has not played a T20I in New Zealand thus far, so that is another reason why he will have a point to prove.
Bowling in the slog overs, he is likely to up against Kiwi middle-order batter Glenn Phillips. The Kiwi cricketer displayed terrific form in the T20 World Cup, which saw him smashing a ton against Sri Lanka. The 25-year-old will be keen to carry on his great run against India. Harshal has the arsenal to stop him, but does he have the confidence?
#4 Shubman Gill
Shubman Gill did a terrific job at the top of the order in ODIs during the tours of West Indies and Zimbabwe. He was Player of the Series on both occasions. With skipper Rohit being rested, he grabbed his chances and registered scores of 64, 43 and 98* in the three-match series in the Caribbean.
The elegant right-handed batter carried on his great run in Zimbabwe as well. After scoring 82* and 33 in the first two matches, he ended the one-day series by notching up his maiden hundred in the format, smashing 130 off 97 balls in Harare.
With the big names unavailable, Gill has been rewarded for his consistency with a place in the T20I squad. The 23-year-old is yet to make his debut in the format for India. He will be up against a challenge in New Zealand, especially against left-armer Trent Boult, who has the ability to swing the ball both ways. Gill has had his issues against the moving ball, so it will be interesting to observe his performances during the T20Is in New Zealand.
Catch the T20Is on 18th, 20th and 22nd November beginning 11 am, and ODIs on 25th, 27th and 30th November beginning 6 am, only on Prime Video