WI vs IND 2022: 3 players who will hold key in the second T20I for India
Team India will want to extend their domination during the second T20I match against the home team West Indies after winning the first T20I with ease. The second T20I is scheduled to be played at Warner Park, Basseterre, St Kitts on August 1 (Monday).
The Rohit Sharma-led Indian unit was all over the Windies in the previous game, squashing them with a 68-run victory. Along with skipper Rohit and Dinesh Karthik, the entire Indian bowling unit hunted in unison to skittle West Indies for 122.
The home team will want to put up a strong effort in St. Kitts to secure their first series victory over the Men in Blue after failing to win a single encounter in the ODI series. India, on the other hand, will be aiming for yet another superior performance against the Caribbean unit.
On that note, let's take a look at the three players who will hold significant importance for India in the upcoming second T20I today.
#3 Hardik Pandya
Ravindra Jadeja - 139 runs @ 167.6
Dinesh Karthik - 167 runs @ 147.7
Hardik Pandya - 218 runs @ 147.2
Impressive numbers for the India trio 🔥👏
#RavindraJadeja #DineshKarthik #HardikPandya #India #WIvsIND #Cricket https://t.co/lw0ueHxG3C
Hardik Pandya is a player whose replacements are incredibly difficult to find. India's premier white-ball all-rounder has made a remarkable comeback in his career after missing the majority of his last two years due to injuries.
Since his IPL 2022 heroics, Pandya has been a shining light for India in white-ball cricket. He has come up with clutch contributions with both bat and ball. Pandya also led India in a two-match T20I series against Ireland in June.
While the 28-year old has been in top-notch form lately, he didn't have a great outing in the previous encounter against the Windies. He was dismissed on 1 while playing a cheeky upper-cut off Alzari Joseph.
India will hope Pandya fares better and dominates the middle and latter parts of the innings in his usual style in the second T20I.
#2 Rohit Sharma
Most runs
of T20Is 
✅ Most runs
✅ Most wins
✅ Most centuries
✅ Most 50+ scores
✅ Most times top-scored
Rohit Sharma the 🐐 of T20Is 🔥
#India #TeamIndia #RohitSharma𓃵 #CricketTwitter https://t.co/oyZtWWcIEm
Indian skipper Rohit Sharma had a terrific first T20I in Trinidad on Friday. The right-handed opener broke several individual records en route to his crucial 44-ball 64, which led India to a commanding victory.
Since his appointment as the Indian skipper, Rohit has established an attacking template right from the word go. He tries to put the opposition bowlers under pressure, while the whole team follows and plays aggressively.
Rohit, the highest run-scorer in T20Is, has some incredible numbers against the West Indies.In 19 T20Is, the 35-year old has amassed 649 runs at an average of 40 and a strike rate of 140 against the Caribbean unit.
On Monday, Rohit will aim to repeat his heroics from the previous game and once again provide India with a solid start with the bat.
#1 Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the first over 🔥🇮🇳
#bhuvneshwarkumar #ravichandranashwin #ashishnehra #irfanpathan #deepakchahar #zaheerkhan #engvind #CricketTwitter https://t.co/soMv9KXtAU
Similar to Hardik Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar's rejuvenation in recent times has been a big plus for the Indian unit. The right-arm pacer has used his vast experience of late and is now a consistent name on the Indian team sheet in T20Is.
With his impeccable swing bowling, Bhuvneshwar has the ability to create havoc in the opposition's batting line-up. The 32-year old is a master with the new ball, bowling over 500 dot balls in the powerplay (the most by any bowler in T20Is) and claiming 38 wickets in the said period as well (the most by any bowler in T20Is).
Bowling just two overs in the first T20I, Bhuvneshwar picked up the wicket of a dangerous-looking Sharmah Brooks inside the first six overs. Bhuvneshwar Kumar will be crucial to Indian bowling once again, and he will try his hardest to lead the pack.