New Zealand vs India T20I series : India's Predicted Playing XI

India have named their squads for the white-ball tour of New Zealand. The trio of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and KL Rahul have been rested for both the limited-overs assignments. For the T20I series, Hardik Pandya will be the leader of the troops with Rishabh Pant acting as his deputy. Though a couple of veteran players are absent, the contingent for the shortest format is still pretty formidable. The 16-member squad is stacked with match-winners and has the ability to stand toe to toe with the Blackcaps even on the latter’s turf. However, it will be interesting what starting XI the team management decides to go with for the T20I series starting November 18. Here is India’s predicted Playing XI for the T20I series against New Zealand: 1. Ishan Kishan Ishan Kishan is known for his fearless brand of cricket and has set the international stage on fire with his strokeplay on many occasions. The wicket-keeper batter has played 19 T20I matches and scored 543 runs at a decent strike rate of 131.15. Generally an aggressive batter, Kishan showed a different side of the game in the 2022 season of the Indian Premier League. The wicketkeeper batter played as per the game situation and steadied the ship whenever Mumbai Indians were in trouble and amassed 418 runs in 14 games at a strike rate of 120.11. The 24-year-old is a dasher of spin bowling and also provides a left-hand option at the top order making him an asset to the side. Moreover, Kishan has been a good nick of late and scored 138 runs in three innings played in the ongoing season of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT). Thus, the southpaw is a great option to have to start the proceedings with the bat. 2. Sanju Samson Sanju Samson is one of the top batters in the Indian circuit. He is renowned for his eye-catching strokeplay and has been a game-changer in the T20 arena. The swashbuckling batter has featured in 16 T20I matches and amassed 296 runs at a strike rate of 135.15. Samson has been in pristine touch this calendar year. In the six T20I games played in 2022, he has scored 179 runs at a sensational strike rate of 158.40. Also, he was prolific in the recently culminated ODI series against South Africa and scored 118 runs at a strike rate of 114.56. Though generally a middle-order batter, Samson has shown the versatility to bat at the top as well and even opened for the Men in Blue on four occasions in T20Is. Also being the designated number three for Rajasthan Royals, he has dealt with the new ball on many occasions. Therefore, he can be the able partner for Kishan in the New Zealand T20I series. 3. Shreyas Iyer Shreyas Iyer has been a run-bank for India in the white-ball circuit. In the 50-over format, the Mumbai-born has scored 1299 runs in 33 games at an average of 48.11. Talking about the T20Is, he has featured in 47 games and amassed 1030 runs at a strike rate of 136.06. The 27-year-old has been India’s go-to man for the number three slot when Kohli has been unavailable and the same could be the case in the T20I series against the Blackcaps. Iyer is someone who can hold the innings together and allow the stroke makers around him to play freely. Iyer was part of the Indian setup for the New Zealand tour in 2020 and did a superb job in the shortest format scoring 153 runs in five games at a strike rate of 131.89. He would look to bring his experience into play and thrive in the swing-friendly conditions of New Zealand. 4. Suryakumar Yadav Suryakumar Yadav has taken the international circuit by storm from the time he donned the Indian jersey. He has featured in 37 games in the shortest format for the Men in Blue so far and amassed 1179 runs at a phenomenal strike rate of 177.02. Suryakumar has the ability to pierce any part of the ground and his ability to demolish bowling attacks with his stroke play is second to none. Due to his innovative hitting skills, the 31-year-old is fondly known as India’s 360-degree batter. The flamboyant batter has been batting at another level altogether and has aced the toughest of conditions. This was quite evident from the match against South Africa in the T20 World Cup 2022. While the other batters struggled to get going against a fiery Proteas pace attack on the bouncy Perth surface, Suryakumar put on a show with the bat smashing 68 runs off 40 deliveries. The 360-degree batter is the X-factor of the Indian batting line-up and would hope to carry his rich vein of form in New Zealand. 5. Rishabh Pant (wk) Pant is the leading wicketkeeper-batter in the Indian team across formats. He has played some jaw-dropping innings for India at the biggest of stages and won many games for the side. However, most of his incredible knocks have come in the Tests and ODIs and the 25-year-old has not had the same success in the shortest format. In the T20Is, the Haridwar-born has played 62 matches and scored 961 runs at a strike rate of 127.45. These numbers do not do justice to the caliber Pant possesses and the ace-batter would look to make amends in the T20I assignment against the Blackcaps. The presence of the southpaw in the middle order enables the Men in Blue to play the match-up game. Pant has done a decent job in New Zealand in the past smashing 72 runs in three games played so far at a strike rate of 144.00. He would look to replicate the performance in the upcoming series. 6. Hardik Pandya (C) Hardik Pandya showed his captaincy credentials in the 2022 season of the IPL as he led Gujarat Titans to a title triumph in their debut season itself. Also, he has the experience of leading the Men in Blue on three occasions. The Gujarat-born would look to lead India to a series win on the New Zealand shores. Besides being the leader of the pack, the 29-year-old will be entrusted to play the role of a finisher slotting in the lower-middle order. Also, Hardik will be required as the middle-overs enforcer with the ball denting the opposition at regular intervals. The veteran all-rounder has been simply outstanding in the international landscape. Hardik has played 76 T20Is and scored 1031 runs at a superb strike rate of 146.03. Further, in the bowling front, he has picked 58 scalps at an economy of 8.29. He would look to continue the good work against the Kiwis. 7. Washington Sundar Washington Sundar has been a proven performer for India in the T20 circuit. He has made 31 appearances for India in the shortest format and has taken 25 wickets at an economy of 7.24. Also, he is no muck with the bat and strikes at 146.87 in T20Is. Sundar is a wily customer and is known to strangle batters with his impeccable lines and lengths. He has been equally effective with the new ball as he is in the middle overs and thus, gives the captain more options on the field. In the New Zealand series, he being an off-spinner will form a great foil to premier spinner Chahal. The bowling all-rounder has improved his batting credentials and IPL 2022 was a good example of the same as he smashed 101 runs in nine games at a strike rate of 146.38. Sundar will look to bring his enhanced batting prowess into play and provide vital contributions in the lower order when he faces the Kiwi challenge. 8. Harshal Patel Harshal Patel is India’s designated death-overs specialist in the T20 format. The 31-year-old has featured in 23 matches and taken 26 wickets at an economy of 9.20. He is known to bamboozle batters with his numerous variations of the slower balls and also has a dipping yorker in his arsenal which has proven to be tough to tackle. Harshal’s form has dipped significantly since he made a return to the international fold after recovering from his rib injury. In the T20I series against Australia, he took one wicket in three games at an alarming rate of 12.37. Then again the three-match T20I series against South Africa, he conceded runs at an economy of 10.00. Harshal is a vital member of the Indian T20 setup as he bowls the difficult overs and gives a handy option with the bat slotting in at number eight and thereby, increasing the batting depth of the side. The team management will hope their gun death bowler gets his mojo back in the New Zealand series. 9. Umran Malik Umran Malik is one of the rare breeds of Indian fast-bowlers who can clock speeds of over 150 kmph effortlessly. The 22-year-old rattled top-quality batting line-ups in the 15th edition of the Indian Premier League with his fiery pace and grabbed 22 scalps in 14 games for Sunrisers Hyderabad. Courtesy of the speedster’s sensational performances in the lucrative T20 tournament, he broke into the international circuit. However, Umran has not had a great outing for India so far. He has featured in three T20Is and taken two wickets at an economy of 12.44 which is quite high. The Srinagar-born will have a chance to redeem himself in the upcoming series against the Kiwis. Umran has a decent outing in the SMAT 2022 and took eight wickets in seven matches at an economy of 8.08. He adds another dimension to the bowling attack with his sheering pace and could find a place in the playing XI from the first game itself. 10. Yuzvendra Chahal Yuzvendra Chahal has been one of India’s leading spinners in white-ball formats for the last couple of years. He has featured in 67 ODIs and bagged 118 wickets at an economy of 5.22. Coming to the shortest format, the veteran spinner has played 69 T20Is and taken 85 wickets at an economy of 8.12. Chahal has been entrusted to provide the Men in Blue breakthroughs in the middle-overs and has done it with perfection. Also, he has developed the art of bowling in the powerplay and the death overs giving the skipper flexibility to rotate his bowlers. The Indian leg-spinner has not had much success in New Zealand thus far. In the seven T20Is Chahal has played, he managed to pick four wickets at an economy of 8.53. The 32-year-old would like to vindicate himself in the forthcoming series. 11. Arshdeep Singh Arshdeep Singh made his international debut in July this year and his stocks have gone higher and higher since then. The 23-year-old has featured in 16 games in the shortest format and taken 26 wickets at an 8.08, which is amazing since he bowls a lot at the fag end of the innings. The left-arm pacer has added variety to the bowling attack and has become an instrumental figure in the Indian T20 setup. Be it at the powerplay or at the death, Arshdeep has become India’s go-to bowler when in need of wickets. In the ongoing T20 extravaganza in Australia, the Punjab-born has been the wreaker-in-chief for the Men in Blue. In the three matches played so far, Arshdeep has taken seven wickets in three matches at an economy of 7.83. The ace pacer would fancy his chances in New Zealand conditions which will suit his style of bowling.

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New Zealand vs India T20I series : India's Predicted Playing XI

India will start their New Zealand tour with the shortest format on November 18, five days after the T20 World Cup final in Australia.

11. Arshdeep Singh

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