Last Update on: November 18th, 2022 at 09:32 am
IND vs NZ: India Playing XI vs New Zealand (Predicted), India Tour Of New Zealand 2022, 1st T20I. India will lock horns with New Zealand in the first T20I on Friday (November 18). Both teams lost in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup 2022 and would be keen to prove a point.
After a forgettable T20 World Cup 2022 campaign, the semi-finalists, India and New Zealand will face off against each other in a 3-match limited-overs series. The series starts with the first of the 3 T20Is and will be played in Sky Stadium, Wellington. Top stars from both teams will miss out on this series. India will be led by Hardik Pandya and will be coached by VVS Laxman.
India will begin a new era in T20 cricket under Hardik Pandya’s leadership. The Men in Blue won’t be having a new-look team, while Kane Williamson-led New Zealand will be without Martin Guptill and Trent Boult.
The series against a quality New Zealand outfit will test Hardik Pandya’s leadership. It will also give a few youngsters an opportunity to show they belong at the top level. Players like Sanju Samson, Shubman Gill, Washington Sundar, and Kuldeep Yadav, who were waiting in the wings have a great chance to show their class.
Umran Malik is back, and it will be interesting to see the speed and control at which he bowls at. For New Zealand, it will be about doing well at home. NZC board have placed a bet on youngster Finn Allen, and it would be interesting to see how he manages to cope with high expectations.
With Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and Rohit Sharma being rested, India may open with Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan for this NZ series. Shreyas Iyer or Deepak Hooda may play at number three with Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya to follow. The toss-up for the last batter will be between Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson.
Rishabh Pant being the vice-captain is expected to get the edge. With Ravichandran Ashwin being left out, Yuzvendra Chahal will start as the main spinner, with Washington Sundar playing the role of a spin-bowling all-rounder. India may rest Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The likes of Harshal Patel and Mohammed Siraj may get the nod for the 1st T20I.
India Probable Playing XI:- Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Washington Sundar, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal
India’s T20I Squad: Hardik Pandya (C), Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Washington Sundar, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Sanju Samson(wk), Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik.
IND vs NZ: India Playing XI vs New Zealand (Predicted), India Tour Of New Zealand 2022, 1st T20I
Shubman Gill
Shubman Gill was Man of the series in the ODI series against West Indies and Zimbabwe where he amassed 205 and 245 runs respectively averaging 102.5 and 122.5. After the two successful ODI tours, he now boasts a remarkable average of 57.9 amassing 579 runs in 12 ODIs. His last few ODI scores read 64,43,98* (against West Indies), 82*, 33, and 130 (against Zimbabwe), and 3, 28, and 49 (against South Africa).
One of the notable inclusions in the T20I squad is Shubman Gill, who is expected to make his international debut in the shortest format of the game. Just a day after being selected for the Indian T20I squad, Shubman Gill smashed a swashbuckling century at the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy quarter-final for Punjab against Karnataka at the Eden Gardens.
Shubman Gill scored 126 runs from 55 balls vs Karnataka in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, in an innings studded with 11 fours and 9 sixes. This was a sensational innings, and incidentally the first 100 for Shubman Gill in the shortest format of the game.
Ishan Kishan (WK)
Ishan Kishan who has played 19 T20Is has played 9 ODIs so far where he amassed 267 runs averaging 33.37 with a highest of 93. The left-hander has been quite consistent in both formats, with 543 runs in 19 T20Is at an average of 30.17 and a strike rate of 131.16.
But he isn’t getting many chances in T20Is, especially after being axed from the T20 World Cup 2022 with Rishabh Pant and Dinesh Karthik getting preferred instead. He will be back as an opener against New Zealand in the 3 T20I series with KL Rahul, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma being rested.
Shreyas Iyer
Shreyas Iyer might be a one-down batter for the team in the first T20I against New Zealand. The right-handed batter could not perform well in the recent T20I series against Proteas. He played in only the 3rd T20I against South Africa and got out for just 1 run. He will aim to come up with a better show in the T20I series against the Kiwis.
The middle order batter scored 50,113* and 28* in the 3 ODIs against Proteas. The middle order batter averages 48.11 in 33 ODIs with 1299 runs and averages 32.18 in 47 T20Is with 1030 runs. He has hit 2 ODIs and 12 fifties in ODIs and 7 fifties in T20Is. He will play in place of rested Virat Kohli against New Zealand.
Suryakumar Yadav
Suryakumar Yadav-the top-ranked T20I batter according to ICC Rankings is a man who can’t do any wrong in this T20I format and India’s own Mr. 360, is one of the most improved players and is going through a purple patch. He has amassed 1284 runs in 40 T20Is averaging 41.42 at a strike rate of 179.08.
He was India’s 2nd highest run scorer and overall 3rd (after Virat Kohli-296, Max O’ Dowd-242) in ICC T20 World Cup 2022 with 239 runs averaging 59.75 at a strike rate of 189.68. He has scored 1040 runs in 29 T20Is in 2022 averaging 43.33.
Suryakumar Yadav became the No.1 T20I batter after a superb showing in the Super 12 stage of the 2022 T20 World Cup, where he smashed three fifties in five innings.
Hardik Pandya
Since regaining his full fitness, Hardik Pandya has just been seen winning games single-handedly for India and is contributing in all three facets of the game. He provides the team with the necessary balance, i.e., the 6th bowler.
The right-handed batsman, a veteran of 79 T20Is will lead the team in the New Zealand T20I series. He had led previously against Ireland. He had picked 8 scalps averaging 18.25 in 6 T20Is in T20 World Cup 2022 besides scoring 128 runs. His 63 against England in the semis went in vain. He had picked 3/30 and scored 40 in India’s opening T20 WC Super 12 game against Pakistan.
Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant played his first ICC T20 World Cup 2022 game against Zimbabwe but scored only 3 runs. He was run out in the semis against England after scoring 6 runs. Rishabh Pant has amassed 970 runs in 64 T20Is at a strike rate of 127.13 at a mediocre average of 23.1 and would want to amend his T20I career stats against New Zealand in the upcoming T20Is.
Sanju Samson will compete for a spot in the XI with keeper Rishabh Pant against New Zealand. Sanju Samson debuted way back in 2015 against Zimbabwe in T20Is but has played in only 16 T20Is. His best of 77 came against Ireland in 2022.
He has managed 296 runs in T20Is averaging 21.14. Sanju Samson averages 73.5 in ODIs having played 10 games since the 2021 Sri Lanka tour. He has managed 294 runs with a best of 86* against South Africa.
Washington Sundar
Washington Sundar has played 31 T20Is since debuting in 2017. He has picked 25 scalps averaging 30. His last T20I was in March 2021 against England at home.
Finally free of injuries, Washington Sundar is set for a new lease of life with Team India. As BCCI is set to phase out Ravichandran Ashwin in line with the T20 reboot following India’s T20 WC Exit, India needs an off-spinner. But more than that, India needs batting depth. Washington Sundar provides both to Team India.
He had a fractured finger before England tour and had tested Covid-19 positive missing the South Africa tour as well. He had a pulled hamstring in India’s tour of Sri Lanka. He missed IPL 2022 as well due to split webbing and a finger injury. His shoulder injury ruled him out of West Indies and Zimbabwe tours.
Harshal Patel
Harshal Patel recovered from a rib injury and was selected for the T20 World Cup 2022, but he was benched throughout the mega event. His performances against Australia and Asia Cup 2022 before the mega event was not good as he picked only 3 scalps in 6 T20Is averaging 99 and 60 in the respective series.
The 31-year-old made his international debut last year after winning the Purple Cap in IPL 2021 while playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore. He has claimed 23 wickets in only 17 T20Is so far in his career which also includes a four-for.
Harshal Patel has made a big name for himself in the last couple of years as a death-over specialist. Harshal Patel was able to bag 32 wickets in just 15 IPL 2021 games at an average of 14.34, an economy of 8.14, and a strike rate of 10.56.
Mohammed Siraj
Ever since he made his ODI debut in 2019, Mohammed Siraj has only been able to play 13 ODI matches, taking 18 wickets at an economy rate of 4.74 averaging 28.22, with his best bowling figures being 3/29 against the West Indies during the home series earlier this year.
He has also played 6 T20Is where he picked 5 scalps averaging around 50. His last T20I came against Proteas on October 4, 2022. He debuted in T20Is in 2017 but has featured in only 6 T20I series, playing 1 match in each series.
Arshdeep Singh
The left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh has executed a spectacular performance in his short T20I career so far. He has picked 29 scalps in only 19 T20Is averaging 18.34. In the recently concluded ICC T20 World Cup 2022, he picked 10 scalps in only 6 T20Is averaging a mere 15.6. He may be also given a rest against New Zealand in the upcoming T20Is.
Yuzvendra Chahal
After missing out on last year’s 2021 T20I World Cup, Yuzvendra Chahal was included in the 2022 T20I World Cup but was benched throughout the event with Axar Patel and Ravichandran Ashwin being preferred instead. He has repeatedly proved his worth for India during the middle overs.
He has already taken 21 wickets at an economy of 7.60 this year in 19 T20Is. He is the top spin bowler for India so far, having taken the 2nd most wickets after Bhuvneshwar Kumar (89) for India in T20Is-85 scalps in 69 T20Is.