England vs India, second T20I: Players to watch out for
The Indian and English sides are arguably the two best sides limited over sides in international cricket today, and the 2nd T20I promises to be a close and exciting contest. The first T20I went the Indians’ way but the England team will be eager to bounce back.
The English have come out all guns blazing in their trademark aggressive approach in the recently concluded series against a weakened Australian side as well as the first T20I where it did not quite come off. However, they are still an exceptionally strong side and they will likely be better prepared to take on the Indian side in the 2nd T20I. They will have to be particularly wary of the Indian spin duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal, nicknamed KulCha, who have been stifling the opposition in the middle overs.
The Indian team seems to have adapted rather quickly to English conditions, which is a promising sign with a long tour ahead. Their excellent performance in the first T20I thanks to the crafty bowling of Kuldeep Yadav and an exquisite batting performance by KL Rahul helped them overcome the English but they will have to be at their best again to have a shot at winning the 2nd T20I.
For either side to win, it has to be a team effort with good performances by all the players across the board, but here are some of the key players likely to fire from both sides for tonight’s blockbuster match.
#1: England – Jos Buttler
What a run of form Jos Buttler has been having since the tail end of IPL 2018 where he got a chance to open the innings for Rajasthan Royals. After a strong showing in the two tests against Pakistan, he followed that up with 275 runs in 5 matches at an average of 137.50 and striking at 112.70 against Australia in the 5 match ODI series. He has scored 61 (30) and 69 (46) in his last two innings in the T20Is against Australia and India respectively.
Jos Buttler is the key man for England’s hopes and the danger man for India and he could wreak havoc if not dismissed early.