Combined XI of New Zealand vs India T20I series

India’s series against New Zealand finished with a 5-0 scorecard in favour of the visiting team. However, the fact the Black Caps gave the Men in Blue a run for their money can’t be denied. In two of the five games where the Super Overs took place, the Kiwis had the chance of turning the tables. But Virat Kohli and Co held their nerve and came out trumps. Even in the first match, the hosts lost after getting 203. Kane Williamson’s men had every chance of avoiding a series defeat at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui. However, the home team let opportunities go and lost by seven runs. In the meantime, throughout the series, there were some standout performers from both the teams. Even as some managed to hog the limelight, a few of them silently kept chipping in with useful performances. In the article, let’s take a look at the combined best XI for the India vs New Zealand series: – 1. KL Rahul (wk) KL Rahul. (Photo Source: Twitter) KL Rahul’s form of late has given teams plenty of headaches. The Kiwis haven’t been any exception either. Finishing as the leading run-scorer of the series, the right-hander put forth his stupendous potential with the willow, batting at the top of the order. Rahul churned out 224 runs at an average of 56, most importantly, striking at a decent 144.51. To start with, he got 56 and 57* at the Eden Park in Auckland. In the next three matches, he didn’t drop his guard, though he couldn’t score half-centuries. Rahul scored 27, 39 and 45, and made sure that the Men in Blue made use of the powerplay. India lost early wickets of Sanju Samson in a couple of instances, but that didn’t unnerve Rahul by any means. Parking aside his batting, the Karnataka cricketer displayed his sharp work with the keeping gloves as well. 2. Colin Munro Colin Munro of New Zealand. (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images) Colin Munro started the T20I series, scoring 59 in Auckland that eventually went in vain. In the next couple of games, he got into the double-digits, but couldn’t quite make the starts count. The southpaw then got to make amends at the Westpac Stadium in Wellington. In a tricky run-chase, the left-handed batter churned out 64 runs, albeit the knock couldn’t take the Black Caps over the finishing line. In the final encounter at the Bay Oval, the 32-year-old from Durban looked threatening to start with. He smacked Washington Sundar for two fours and a six before the latter hit back. Munro tried to cut the tweaker, but the leather cannoned into the stumps. Munro, eventually, ended with 178 runs off five matches at 35.60. Compared to him, his opening partner Martin Guptill had a rather lackluster series. 3. Rohit Sharma (C) Rohit Sharma. (Photo by Fiona Goodall/Getty Images) Rohit Sharma’s journey in the T20I series started in an indifferent manner. He couldn’t breach the double-digit score at the Eden Park. But he had something miraculous in store at the Seddon Park. To start with, the Mumbai batter notched 65 runs and then he gave a good account of himself under pressure. The 32-year-old took Tim Southee, the Black Caps’ most experienced bowler, to the cleaners. In the Super Over, Rohit smacked a couple of sixes in the last two balls to give India an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series. In the last game at the Bay Oval, Rohit notched 60 off 41 and was looking set for a final flurry. Unfortunately, he had to retire hurt midway after he sensed some discomfort. After he went off, Rahul became the stand-in skipper. Rohit ended with 140 runs in four games at an average of 46.66. 4. Kane Williamson Kane Williamson. (Photo Source: Twitter) Kane Williamson had a torrid time as a skipper, having lost three games. To add insult to injury, a shoulder injury made sure that he was ruled out of the last two matches in Wellington and Mount Maunganui. But bearing in mind the form he was in, the Tauranga-born could have ended as the leading run-scorer of the series. Among all the regular batsmen, Kane had the highest strike-rate of 170.21. He started with 51 in Auckland and took the Kiwis over the 200-run mark. Then at the same venue, he had his travails, especially against the spinners. However, the 48-ball 95 that he got at the Seddon Park remains as his highlight from the series. In that knock, he churned out eight fours and six sixes. It was after the skipper got out to Mohammed Shami in the last over that the home team huffed the puffed. 5. Shreyas Iyer Shreyas Iyer. (Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images) Shreyas Iyer made a thunderous start to the T20I series. In the opener at the Eden Park, he came in and blasted the Kiwis’ bowling to a 29-ball 58 and helped India chase down in excess of 200 with an over to spare. En route victory, he also got the apt support from Rahul, who also got a half-century. He followed it up with 44 at the same venue, though he couldn’t hold his ground until the end of the innings. In the next two matches in Hamilton and Wellington, Iyer couldn’t quite step up, managing only 18 runs. But in the last match in Mount Maunganui, the 25-year-old from Mumbai contributed with 33 off 31. The right-hander was a tad slow to start with after which he upped the ante with a four and couple of sixes. Shreyas finished the series with 153 runs at an average of 51 and at a strike-rate of 131.89. 6. Ross Taylor Ross Taylor. (Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images) Ross Taylor scored 166 runs at an average of 41.50. He also racked up a couple of half-centuries, but that he under-performed can’t be denied. The veteran started the series, scoring an unbeaten 54 that took the Kiwis over the 200-run mark. In the second and third game respectively, Taylor scored 18 and 17 before getting out. But at the Westpac Stadium, he had the chance of taking his side through to win. He got 24 and was looking set. But in the last over, he gave his wicket away to Shardul Thakur. His wicket turned out to be costly and the Kiwis ended up floundering in the Super Over. At the Bay Oval, Taylor brought up his second fifty and was severe on Shivam Dube, who gave 34 in the one over he bowled. To his agony, in the 18th over, Navdeep Saini found his outside-edge and the Kiwis fell short. 7. Ravindra Jadeja Ravindra Jadeja. (Photo Source: Twitter) Ravindra Jadeja’s may not have the colossal numbers in the series. However, when it came to effectiveness, he was up there with the very best if not the best. The Saurashtra all-rounder played only the first three matches and silently made some telling blows. In the opening game, the left-arm spinner gave away only 18 runs and he picked up Colin de Grandhomme’s wicket in the very first over he bowled. In the second game, he turned out to be a handful on a slow strip in Auckland. In his four overs, Jadeja gave away only 18 runs and nipped out Williamson and De Grandhomme. On an excellent batting deck in Hamilton, Jadeja turned out to be tough to pounce on. He got Colin Munro’s wicket. Overall, Jadeja picked up four wickets at an economy of 5.90, the best among all the other bowlers in the series. 8. Shardul Thakur Shardul Thakur. (Photo Source: Twitter) Shardul Thakur made a horrendous start to the series as he went for 44 runs in three overs, albeit he got a solitary wicket. Even in the second T20I at the Eden Park, he went in excess of 10 rpo. From the third match onwards, Thakur’s fortunes in the series started taking a turn. Among the fast bowlers, he was India’s most economical bowler, having picked up the wickets of Martin Guptill and De Grandhomme. Then at the Westpac Stadium, Thakur pulled off his A-game to stun the Kiwis. India had seven runs to defend and the speedster conceded only six to take the match into the Super Over. Out of the four wickets that fell in the last over, Thakur picked up a couple. In the last encounter, the pacer picked two scalps in crunch moments. In the end, the 28-year-old ended as the joint highest wicket-taker. 9. Ish Sodhi Ish Sodhi. (Photo Source: Twitter) Ish Sodhi was one bowler India had troubles in facing. The visitors were circumspect while facing him as the leg-spinner had an economy rate of 7.30. In fact, he was New Zealand’s most economical bowler in the series. Apart from that, the Ludhiana-born also churned out six wickets. In the first game at the Eden Park, when the other Kiwis’ bowlers were travelling the distance, he went for 36 runs in his four overs. Moreover, he put pressure on the Indian batting, picking up KL Rahul and Shivam Dube. In Hamilton, he didn’t get a wicket, but gave away a mere 23 runs in his full quota. Nevertheless, it was at the Westpac Stadium where he turned up with his best performance of the series. Sodhi removed Rahul, Virat Kohli and Dube in the middle-overs. It restricted the Indians to 165 after the visitors got off to a flying start. 10. Jasprit Bumrah Jasprit Bumrah. (Photo Source: Twitter) In the first four games of the series, Jasprit Bumrah didn’t look at his very best. At the Seddon Park in Hamilton, he leaked 45 runs in his four overs. Even in the Super Over, he was taken for quite a few, though India got out of jail. However, the Kiwis couldn’t bear the brunt of Bumrah in the final game at the Bay Oval. In that game, Bumrah took the new ball and never allowed the opposition to take him on. To start with, he got rid of Martin Guptill in his very first over. He came back for his second spell after the 10th over and pinned Daryl Mitchell. In the death overs when the Black Caps needed to throw their bats at everything, Bumrah gave away only singles and also got Tim Southee’s wicket. He also went on to become the Player of the Match. Overall, the pacer finished with six wickets at an economy of 6.45. 11. Hamish Bennett Hamish Bennett. (Photo Source: Twitter) Hamish Bennett made his T20I debut at the age of 32 and he tried his heart out. The speedster made a rough start as he couldn’t get a single wicket in the first two games at the Eden Park. In Hamilton, Rohit Sharma laid into him and Bennett conceded 54 runs in his four overs. In the same match, the seamer made a comeback and got three wickets. In Wellington, he again went in excess of 10 runs per over. But in the final game in Mount Maunganui, Bennett put forth his very best. Hamish was the Kiwis’ most economical bowler on the day. He also churned out the prized wicket of KL Rahul, who was looking ominous after scoring 45. Bennett gave 10 runs in the first over and from there on, he got a stranglehold on the Indian batting. In the last three overs, the visiting team could only muster 11 runs off his bowling.

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Combined XI of New Zealand vs India T20I series

Players from both the teams entertained the audience throughout.

8. Shardul Thakur

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