India vs New Zealand T20 Series 2020: India's probable XI
The Indian cricket team is geared up to begin their much awaited New Zealand tour with the five-match T20 International series. The series, starting from 24th January 2020, is one among the many planned by the BCCI as preparatory measures for the upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup in Australia.
The schedule for the series is as follows:
1st T20I: 24th January 2020 in Eden Park, Auckland
2nd T20I: 26th January 2020 in Eden Park, Auckland
3rd T20I: 29th January 2020 in Seddon Park, Hamilton
4th T20I: 31st January 2020 in Westpac Stadium, Wellington
5th T20I: 2nd February 2020 in Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui
India is fielding their full strength team in this series, with the only exception of Shikhar Dhawan, who has been ruled out because of injury. Here's the full 15-member squad:
T20I Squad: Virat Kohli (C), Rohit Sharma (vc), Sanju Samson, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Rishabh Pant (wk), Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Navdeep Saini, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur.
Overall, the team looks quite good on paper, with a perfect mix of youth and experience. However, the batting line-up will get tested in the bowling friendly New Zealand conditions against a quality New Zealand pace attack comprising of Trent Boult, Matt Henry, Tim Southee, and Colin de Grandhomme.
Also see - India tour of New Zealand schedule 2020
Although the Indian team has been in excellent form in T20s in recent times, but it will not be easy to get the better of the Kiwis in their own backyard. So, in order to win the series, Kohli's boys will need to be at their absolute best, both with the bat and with the ball.
In this article, we look at what India's best possible playing XI could be in this T20I series.
Openers: Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul
India is blessed with two of the best openers in T20 cricket. The onus of giving India a solid start will be on this opening pair of KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma. Rahul will be keen to continue his good form with the bat while Sharma will try to dominate the New Zealand bowlers by hitting plenty of sixes in the small New Zealand grounds. Both the men have plenty of experience under their belt and India can definitely expect them to do well at the top of the order.
Middle-order: Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Dube
Virat Kohli will definitely be coming at number three, his favourite batting position. In the bowling friendly New Zealand wickets, Kohli's performance with the bat will be very important in determining the fate of the series. In case India lose their openers early, Kohli will have to play the role of an anchor for the team. With the T20 World Cup in Australia not far away, captain Kohli will be eager to score runs in New Zealand, which has similar conditions as that of Australia.
Shreyas Iyer will most probably play at the number four position. He has the unique ability to rotate the strike with ease, as well as play the big shots whenever required. Iyer will be keen to score big runs and cement his position in the Indian middle-order before the T20 World Cup begins.
At number five, Shivam Dube is likely to get the nod ahead of Manish Pandey because of his explosive batting ability. As Dube can also contribute with the ball, his inclusion will provide more balance to the playing XI and give Kohli an extra bowling option as well.
Wicket-keeper: Rishabh Pant
For the wicket keeper's slot there will be tough competition between Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson. However Pant might just get the nod ahead of Samson, because of his experience. He will most probably walk out to bat at number 6. Alternatively, the team management will also look at KL Rahul continuing to keep to see if another batsman or bowler can be slotted in the XI.
Pant's devastating batting style makes him a match-winner in the shortest format of the game. However, his recent form with the bat has been a cause for concern.
Spinners: Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja
Although India has three world-class spinners -- Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, and Yuzvendra Chahal in their team, but only two of them are likely to find a place in the playing XI.
Considering Jadeja's ability to contribute with both bat and ball, coupled with brilliant fielding skills, he has a definite edge over the other two. For the second spinners' spot, Kuldeep Yadav is most likely to get the nod ahead of Yuzvendra Chahal as he has been in better form in recent times.
Fast Bowlers: Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and Navdeep Saini
The experienced pair of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, will be leading the Indian pace attack in this series. The performance of this bowling pair will play a crucial role in determining whether the series swings India's way. If they are able to take wickets with the new ball and restrict runs in the final 5 overs, then India will definitely be in a winning position more often than not.
For the third fast bowler's spot, Navdeep Saini edges past Shardul Thakur because of his raw pace and potential match-winning capabilities.
Also see: Should India go with KL Rahul as their first-choice wicket-keeper in white-ball cricket?