New Zealand vs India Preview : 1st T20
After comfortably thumping New Zealand in the ODIs, the Men In Blue are all set to take on the Kiwis in the shortest format of the game. The three-match T20 series will kick off in Wellington on Wednesday. After a very successful past couple of months, India will hoping to bag this series too. With few of the big guns rested, it will serve as an ideal opportunity for some of the young players to show their caliber.
New Zealand has been hit with the news that Martin Guptill won’t be taking part in the series owing to injury. The opening batsman, who missed the fifth ODI against India, underwent a fitness test on Monday (February 4) and ‘continued to feel the pain in his lower back’, New Zealand Cricket stated.
All-rounder James Neesham, who wasn’t initially part of the T20 squad, will replace the opener. Guptill, meanwhile, will return to Auckland with the hope of regaining fitness ahead of the ODI series against Bangladesh which begins on February 13.
India vs New Zealand T20 Squads
India squad: Rohit Sharma(c), Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni, Krunal Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul, K Khaleel Ahmed, Shubman Gill, Vijay Shankar, Hardik Pandya
New Zealand squad: Kane Williamson (c), Doug Bracewell, Colin de Grandhomme, Lockie Ferguson, Scott Kuggeleijn, Daryl Mitchell, Colin Munro, Jimmy Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor.
Probable Teams
Indian team for India vs New Zealand 1st T20I: Rohit Sharma (c) , Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik, MS Dhoni, Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed.
New Zealand team for India vs New Zealand 1st T20I: Kane Williamson (c), Colin Munro, Tim Seifert, Ross Taylor, Jimmy Neesham, Colin de Grandhomme , Doug Bracewell, Mitchell Santner/Scott Kuggeleijn, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson.
Important Notes
Date – 6 February
Time – 12.30PM IST, 7AM GMT & 8 PM Local
Broadcast – Star Sports Network (India)