After facing a demoralizing 1-4 loss in the ODI series against India, New Zealand will be looking forward to proving their worth against their formidable opponents in the T20I rubber. Even though the T20s can be termed as the fast-forwarded version of ODIs, it involves different tactics and strategies. So the hosts will look to get back to winning ways when they lock horns against India in the first T20I in Wellington. The first game will be played at the Westpac Stadium in Wellington on February 06, starting at 12:30 AM IST.

One of the areas of concern for the Blackcaps in ODIs was that their top order failure against India’s incisive bowling unit. Colin Munro, one of the batsmen who struggled to make an impact in the ODIs, will aim to find his groove in the shortest version of the game. The batting all-rounder amassed 500 runs at an impressive strike rate of almost 180 in T20Is last year.

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Kane Williamson, the mainstay, too, couldn’t exactly fire in ODIs, scoring just one fifty. The middle order batsman, not known for his hitting prowess, was also going through a rough patch in T20Is last year, notching up just over 250 and at a strike rate of 115.66. The hosts’ problems took a severe turn with Martin Guptill being ruled out due to a back problem. In his absence, Tim Seifert, who has a very good strike rate in T20s, might slot in at the top of the order. 

On the bowling front, Trent Boult has been rested as they look to manage his workload. Scott Kuggeleign, the bowling all-rounder, could get a look-in. He has taken 14 wickets and scored 59 runs in T20s during the current New Zealand domestic season.

On the other hand, the visitors would be riding high on confidence. Their dominance can be assured with the fact that they are yet to lose a single series across formats since they went down 1-4 to England in the Test rubber last year.

With Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan at the top of the order, the tourists have a settled opening pair. The aggressive Rishabh Pant, who was left out of the ODI squad, is back in the mix. With the veteran MS Dhoni also in the squad, at what position Pant would fit in. With all-rounders – Hardik and Krunal Pandya, alongside Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav and Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the ranks, India also have enough firepower in the bowling department.

WATCH – Rishabh Pant Practicing Reverse Sweep Ahead Of T20I Series

With Virat Kohli rested for the series, Rohit Sharma will continue to lead the side. India could play both MS Dhoni and Pant for the first game. Shubman Gill is also an option to look at.

Predicted XIs:

India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill, MS Dhoni (wk), Dinesh Karthik, Hardik Pandya,  Yuzvendra Chahal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Siddarth Kaul

New Zealand: Tim Seifert, Colin Munro, Kane Williamson (c), Ross Taylor, Colin de Grandhomme, Jimmy Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Doug Bracewell, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi/Scott Kuggeleign, Lockie Ferguson

ALSO READ: Shikhar Dhawan Predicts India’s Chances In T20I Series

Some crucial stats ahead of the series:

• New Zealand is the only team to win more matches than they have lost against India – six wins to two defeats.
• Rohit Sharma needs 36 more runs to go past Martin Guptill’s tally of 2272 runs to become the leading run-getter in T20Is.
• The average first innings total in New Zealand since January 2016 is 183 – the highest among all the nations.