India vs New Zealand: 5 Team India players who deserved a place in the T20I squad

The upcoming T20I series between India and New Zealand is expected to be a treat for every cricket fanatic. After a forgettable T20 World Cup campaign in the UAE, the Indian cricket team is busy gearing up for the upcoming world tournament next year in Australia.

For that, the selection committee has been quite experimental. They are adding new and budding players, who have been exceptional in the IPL or first-class cricket, into the main national squad. By this, they can give crucial roles to those new players, who have every chance of performing well in the bilateral series.

However, there are a few players, who have shown their calibre and displayed some commendable performances, but haven’t got a lot of chances. Those players deserved to be a part of the India T20I squad for the series against the Kiwis.

In the article, let’s look at 5 players who deserved a spot in the Indian team for the New Zealand T20Is:

1. Arshdeep Singh

Arshdeep Singh came into the limelight after his impeccable performance for the victorious Indian side in the 2018 U-19 World Cup held in New Zealand. The ability to bowl fast has been the highlight for him and his height of  6’3 has definitely helped him.

Picked by the Punjab Kings in the 2020 IPL auction, he has been an impressive contributor to the team. In the 2021 edition, he scalped 18 wickets in total in his 12-match campaign with a decent economy rate of 8.27.

He also bowled in the powerplay and at the death when the batters tried to throw the kitchen sink at everything. As the numbers suggest, he must get a chance to display his game for the Indian national side.

2. Ravi Bishnoi

Another talent from the house of the Kings, Ravi Bishnoi, is a budding leg-spinner, who is deemed to be a future prospect for the Indian cricket team. He happened to be the top wicket-taker of the 2020 U-19 World Cup with 17 scalps in just six matches, showing his commendable display of quality spin-bowling.

In the 2021 edition of the IPL, he picked up 12 wickets in just nine matches with an economy rate of 6.34. He is also an impeccable fielder and got an award for the ‘Best Catch of the Tournament’ for grabbing a stunner.

By seeing the stats of this leggie, he can turn a match with his deliveries for the Indian side if given a chance. Bishnoi was also impressive when he played the U19 World Cup in 2020 where India ended as the runners-up.

3. Chetan Sakariya

Chetan Sakariya came into the picture after his pivotal contributions to the Saurashtra team in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy. And because of that, he was picked by the Rajasthan Royals in the 2021 auction.

He has been a reliable fast bowler for the 2008 IPL-winning team. In his first IPL campaign, he scalped 14 wickets in just 12 matches with an economy rate of 8.17. Indeed, this left-arm pacer has been impressive with his swing and pace.

A couple of months ago, he also made his debut for India against Sri Lanka. And there, he just scalped a solitary wicket in two matches with an economy rate of 9.27, which was quite underwhelming. But after seeing his performance in the second half of the IPL, the selection committee could have given him another chance to display his cricketing skills.

4. Devdutt Padikkal

Devdutt Padikkal has earned fame in the cricketing world, thanks to his phenomenal IPL performance for Royal Challengers Bangalore since 2020. He was commendable with the bat even in the 2021 edition.

The southpaw made 411 runs in just 14 matches and also hit a clinical 101* against the Rajasthan Royals. Without a doubt, he has been a reliable opener for the Royal Challengers.

Though he might not have had a satisfying start with the Indian side after making just 38 runs in his two-match campaign, the selectors could have given him a chance as he would have been comfortable, playing in home conditions.

5. Sheldon Jackson

Sheldon Jackson, a batsman from the Saurashtra cricket team, should also have gotten a chance to be a part of the national team. Well, it’s not because of his IPL records, but due to his recent performance in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT). The right-hander made a hattrick of swashbuckling half-centuries in his last three matches. (79*, 70, 62*).

He also has a high and clinical average of around 50 in his first-class career. Jackson was a part of the Kolkata Knight Riders squad in the 2021 edition and may go big in the upcoming mega-auction, thanks to his current performance in the SMAT.

Also, the selection committee can go experimental and give him a chance to be a part of India in international cricket. As he is familiar with home conditions, he could have created a long-lasting impact in the New Zealand T20Is.

– Written by Armaan Patra