India has visited New Zealand for a limited-overs tour that will be commencing with a 3-match T20I series, followed by a 3-match ODI series. The first T20I will be played on the 18th of November in Sky Stadium in Wellington. The ODI series is scheduled to commence on the 25th of November.
Hardik Pandya will be leading the Indian team in this T20I series while the likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have been rested. Kane Williamson will be leading the Kiwis in this series. Both teams are coming off semi-final defeats in the recently concluded T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia. However, both finished at the top most positions in their respective Super 12 group stages.
In the 20 meetings between the two sides, India is leading the charts 11-9 against the Blackcaps in the head-to-head battles. India is ahead in the last 5 meetings with a 4-1 margin. Another electrifying contest is anticipated here at Wellington on Friday between these two sides.
New Zealand
Finn Allen will be expecting to get consistent opportunities to impress at the top of the order with Martin Guptill receiving the snub. New Zealand’s top-order should wear a familiar look as the World Cup regulars are all involved. It’s the bowling half that will see changes as Trent Boult is missing from the squad.
Probable XI: Finn Allen, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Adam Milne, Lockie Ferguson, Blair Tickner
India
Rishabh Pant should play all through with Dinesh Karthik not picked for this series. Yuzvendra Chahal, who went without a game in the T20 World Cup 2022, should get in too in the absence of R Ashwin.
Probable XI: Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant, Deepak Hooda/Washington Sundar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik
Fantasy XI suggestion 1:
Devon Conway, Shreyas Iyer, Glenn Phillips, Kane Williamson, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Finn Allen (vc), Darryl Mitchell, Hardik Pandya, Harshal Patel, Lockie Ferguson, Mitchell Santner
Fantasy XI suggestion 2:
Sanju Samson, Devon Conway (VC), Kane Williamson, Suryakumar Yadav, Glenn Phillips, Shreyas Iyer, Mitchell Santner, Hardik Pandya (C), Tim Southee, Lockie Ferguson, Arshdeep Singh