New Zealand vs India, 2020: 1st T20I – Dream11 Fantasy Cricket Tips – Playing XI, Pitch Report & Injury Update

Toss Update

India won the toss and opted to bowl

Playing XIs

India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma, Lokesh Rahul(w), Virat Kohli(c), Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Shami

New Zealand (Playing XI): Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Kane Williamson(c), Tim Seifert(w), Ross Taylor, Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Blair Tickner, Hamish Bennett

Match Details

The first of the five-match T20I series between New Zealand and India will be played on 24 January 2020 at the Eden Park in Auckland.

The game will commence at 08:00 PM local (07:00 AM UTC) (12:30 PM IST). This match can be viewed on Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 HD, Star Sports 1 Hindi and Star Sports 1 HD Hindi. Live Streaming will be available on Hotstar and Jio TV.

Match Preview for Dream11 Fantasy

It’s been a while since India toured overseas for a full-fledged tour. At around this time last year, Virat Kohli and his men finished a successful tour of Australia with Test and ODI wins and kicked off the series against the Blackcaps. They were comprehensive in the 50-over format but faltered in the shortest format of the game under Rohit Sharma. But with so much emphasis now on T20I cricket, this is a very crucial series for them.

For the first time ever, they will be playing in a five-match T20I series and have got a strong opponent in the form of New Zealand. The Kiwis have been outdone by Australia in Tests recently. But in their own backyard, they are quite a tough team to beat. The ‘Men in Blue’ haven’t been really tested in T20I cricket of late. Thus, this strong Kiwi side is expected to give them a good run for their money. Not often you hear about bouncing back in a T20I series. But there is an opportunity this time and both teams would want to start on a positive note.

Weather Report

Clear skies will greet both the teams on Friday in Auckland. With the temperature between 18 C and 23 C, the weather is expected to be pleasant for a game of cricket. The humidity will be on the higher side and there is no chance of rain.

Pitch Condition/Report:

The most recent game played at the Eden Park between New Zealand and England finished in a draw. England won the super over. The track here is a good one to bat on and has often assisted the teams batting first. However, India won a game here last year when they were chasing.

Average first innings score: 162 (Last three completed 20-over T20I innings at Eden Park)

Record of chasing teams: Won – 1, Lost – 2, Tied – 0

Injury and Availability News:

(Will be added when there is an update)

Probable Playing XIs:

New Zealand

Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Kane Williamson (c), Tim Seifert (wk), Ross Taylor, Colin de Grandhomme, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Scott Kuggeleijn/Hamish Bennett.

Bench: Scott Kuggeleijn/Hamish Bennett, Blair Tickner

India

Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul (WK), Virat Kohli (C), Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube/Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Navdeep Saini.

Bench: Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube/Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Shardul Thakur.

Top Picks:

Last year, in the three-match series, the likes of Tim Seifert, Tim Southee, Colin de Grandhomme and Rohit Sharma came up with some of the best performances. Colin Munro, with 248 runs in 7 games against India, is the second-leading run-scorer for New Zealand against this opponent. He is a must in your Dream11 Fantasy team.

Ish Sodhi (11 wickets) has the most T20I wickets amongst bowlers from both these teams when they played each other. He should be a good option for your side. Virat Kohli is one of those players you can’t avoid having in your fantasy team.

Captain and Vice-Captain Selection:

Captain Options – Virat Kohli, Colin Munro, Kane Williamson

Vice-Captain Options – Rohit Sharma, Tim Seifert, Colin de Grandomme

Suggested Playing XI No.1 for Fantasy Cricket:

Keeper – KL Rahul, Tim Seifert (VC)

Batters – Virat Kohli (C), Rohit Sharma, Colin Munro

All-Rounders – Ravindra Jadeja, Colin de Grandhomme

Bowlers – Jasprit Bumrah, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Mohammed Shami

Suggested Playing XI No.2 for Fantasy Cricket:

Keeper – Tim Seifert

Batters – Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma (VC), Kane Williamson, Martin Guptill, Colin Munro (C)

All-Rounders – Ravindra Jadeja, Mitchell Santner

Bowlers – Mohammed Shami, Ish Sodhi, Hamish Bennett

Expert Advice:

Ravindra Jadeja helps you maintain the balance of your Dream11 Fantasy team since he comes at just 8 credits. If he gets a game, he will surely bowl his four overs and is great on the field as well. Moreover, he can be handy with the bat if his services are required. So, it is better to have him in both your teams.

Colin de Grandhomme might continue to bat at four as New Zealand have been promoting him for quite a while now with Ross Taylor slotting down at five. The all-rounder is a good captain material as he is likely to bowl a few overs as well.

Probable Winners:

New Zealand is predicted to win this game.

*Disclaimer: This team is based on the understanding, analysis and instinct of the author. While selecting your team, consider the points mentioned and make your own decision.