IND vs NZ, 3rd T20I: Top 3 players to watch out for
India will face New Zealand in the final T20 international match of the ongoing series at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday.
After some exceptional cricket from the Men in Blue in the first two T20Is, they lead the series by 2-0 and already have one hand on the trophy.
With Rohit and Rahul's opening combination clicking like never before and with the likes of Harshal Patel having a dream debut, India have completely dominated the Kiwis and emerged a formidable side in this series.
With just one more to go, India will be keen to make some changes to give the fresh players a chance and will be eyeing for a whitewash.
On the other hand, New Zealand have truly felt the absence of Kane Williamson and to win the last game will be a mammoth of a task for them. However, they will be looking to salvage the situation and take away at least one win in this series.
On that note, let's take a look at three such players who can create an impact in the third and final T20I between India and New Zealand.
#1 Ishan Kishan
Though he has made only four T20 international appearances so far, Kishan has gathered 84 runs and holds an impressive record across various competitive T20 leagues.
With his ability to clear the boundaries, Kishan can inflict some considerable damage upon the opposition. He can also keep the stumps exceptionally and including him in the game on Sunday will provide Rishabh Pant with some much-needed rest.
#2 chahal" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Yuzvendra Chahal
Despite having a decent run in IPL 2021 for the Challengers, Chahal was not picked in the T20 World Cup squad for India. This sparked a debate in the cricketing world and proved to be a real shocker.
However, now that Yuzvendra Chahal is back in action, he will be eager to prove himself if included in the playing XI on Sunday. The 31-year-old has picked up 63 wickets in 49 T20 internationals at an economy rate of 8.3.
If given a chance in the final T20I, Chahal will not only be playing his 50th match but will also be giving Axar Patel or Ravichandran Ashwin some time off.
#3 Avesh Khan
An excellent find for team India, Avesh Khan is yet to make his international debut. However, the young gun had a fantastic IPL season this year by picking up 24 wickets in simply 16 matches at an economy rate of 7.4 for the Delhi Capitals.
The 24-year-old right arm pacer can be brought in lieu of Bhuvaneshwar Kumar or Deepak Chahar for the third T20 international and could prove fatal to the Kiwi batters as they might not have faced him before.
Though the Eden Gardens have always favored batters, with the winter dew season coming in, you never know what might go down. India may have won the series but the Black Caps will not be going down without a fight.
Either way, this is going to be one hell of a contest.
Probable Playing XI for both sides:
INDIA
Rohit Sharma/Ruturaj Gaikwad, Lokesh Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan/Rishabh Pant (wk), Shreyas Iyer, Venkatesh Iyer, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin/Yuzvendra Chahal, Harshal Patel, Deepak Chahar/Avesh Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar
NEW ZEALAND
Martin Guptill, Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Glenn Phillips, Tim Siefert (wk), Jimmy Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee (c), Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson/Adam Milne, Trent Boult