India will look to extend its lead in the five-match T20I series when they take on New Zealand in the second match in Raipur tonight.
The Men in Blue handed the Blackcaps a thrashing by 48 runs in the series opener in Nagpur a couple of nights ago. India's batting stood out in the match as they posted a massive score of 238/7, batting first. Opener Abhishek Sharma blasted 84 off 35 balls before Rinku Singh provided finishing touches with an entertaining cameo of 44 in 20 balls.The bowling also clicked for the no.1 ranked team in the world as spinner Varun Chakravarthy and medium pacer Shivam Dube picked 2 wickets each. They were aided by the likes of Arshedeep Singh, Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel, all three of whom claimed a wicket.
Even in defeat, New Zealand had some positives to take home. All-rounder Glenn Phillips hammered 78 in 40 deliveries and helped his side bounce from a precarious 52/3. No other batter touched the 40-run mark. Jacob Duffy, claimed the wickets of Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya, thereby reasserting why he is the the no.4 ranked bowler in world in the format.
New Zealand will not be much worried as they have games in hand to catch up with India. In the ODI series that concluded last week, New Zealand had lost the first match of that series before they bounced back and clinched the next two games to register their first-ever ODI series win on Indian soil.
The two teams will be looking to fine tune certain aspects as they build up for the T20 World Cup that kick-starts next week.
New Zealand will hope that Devon Conway brings his immense experience of playing in India into play to give the side a solid start. The wicket-keeper opener got out out on a duck in Raipur. There are concerns over the form of the 34-year-old as he has scored just two fifties in his last 10 innings and got out on single digits three times in this span.
In the Indian camp all eyes will be on Ishan Kishan. The hard-hitting left hander who is marking his international return after three years on the back of a stellar domestic season, got out on 8 in the first game. Pressure will be on Kishan as he knows that he will be replaced in the playing 11 the moment Tilak Varma is declared fit.
Pitch
Raipur doesn't often hosts matches so there is uncertainty over the kind of the pitch that is in store for this match.
India v New Zealand Possible Playing 11
India: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Suryakumar Yadav (capt.), Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy
New Zealand: Tim Robinson, Devon Conway (wk), Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner (capt.), Kristian Clarke, Michael Bracewell, Kyle Jamieson, Jacob Duffy
India v New Zealand Head to Head (last 5 matches)
India have won three of the last five T20I games they have played against New Zealand. New Zealand have clinched one match and one game ended in a tie.
Form Guide (last 5 matches)
India: W-W-W-L-W
New Zealand: L-W-W-W-L
Match Time and LIVE stream details
The match gets underway at 7.00 pm IST. It will be streamed LIVE on the JioHotstar app and broadcast on the Star Sports channel
Also Read: Daryl Mitchell Replaces Virat Kohli As The No.1 ODI Batter In Latest ICC Rankings
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