Predicting 3 players who could pick up the most wickets in India vs Australia T20I series ft. Adam Zampa
Fresh from the ODI World Cup win, Australia will square off against India in the five-match T20I series. The first match will be played at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam on Thursday.
With the T20 World Cup 2024 on the horizon, both teams will look to get their act straight, starting from this series. Both teams have rested some players who played in Sunday's OD World Cup final. Thus, it will be a great opportunity for young players to stake a claim.
India will be led by star batter Suryakumar Yadav in the absence of all-rounder Hardik Pandya. He suffered an injury in the World Cup and has been ruled out of the series. Australia, on the other hand, will be captained by wicketkeeper-batter Matthew Wade in place of Pat Cummins, who has been rested.
Despite the absence of several key personnel, the five-match affair is expected to be exciting. While T20Is are mostly suited to batters, bowlers have also proved that they can dictate terms. India and Australia have quality bowlers in their ranks who can turn the game on its head on any given day.
On that note, let's take a look at three bowlers who could pick up the most wickets in the India vs Australia series.
#1 Axar Patel
The all-rounder from Gujarat returns to the Indian team after a long injury layoff, which also saw him miss the ODI World Cup. However, he has played in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and has looked in good rhythm.
With too many players vying for a spot in the team, Axar Patel will look to set the record straight from the first game. He also enjoys a decent record against Australia in T20Is, picking up eight wickets in three games.
If he catches his rhythm early, expect Axar to finish as one of the highest wicket-takers in the series.
#2 Adam Zampa
The willy leg-spinner had an excellent outing in the 2023 ODI World Cup, finishing as the second-highest wicket-taker after Mohammed Shami. Adam Zampa was one of the key architects in Australia lifting their sixth World Cup trophy, picking up 23 wickets in 11 matches at an economy rate of 5.36.
Zampa will aim to keep the momentum going in the T20Is as the management looks to build a strong squad for the World Cup next year.
He has good experience of playing in these conditions and with his ability to pick up wickets at regular intervals, expect Zampa to trouble the Indian batters.
#3 Arshdeep Singh
After a dip in form earlier this year, Arshdeep Singh has rediscovered himself once again. The left-arm pacer had a superb Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaign, helping Punjab clinch their maiden title by beating Baroda.
Arshdeep starred with the ball in the final by picking up four wickets. Overall, he scalped 10 wickets from nine games at an economy rate of 7.59.
With his pinpoint yorkers and ability to come up with slower deliveries, Arshdeep will be a key weapon for skipper Suryakumar Yadav. If he manages to hit the right lengths, the youngster might end up with the maximum wickets in the series.