On the back of defeating New Zealand by 48 runs in the first T20I, India meet their opponents in the second match of the series. The game will take place in Raipur on Sunday, January 25. With a 1-0 lead, the Indians will hope that their players remain consistent and do not throw away the opportunities sent their way. T20 cricket is a game of chance as well as high-risk options, and whichever side manages to balance the two will end up as the winner by the end of the evening.
India are the current world champions in this format. They seem to have covered all their bases, especially in fielding. Under captain Suryakumar Yadav, India also seem to select two to three game-changers hitters in their ranks. Currently, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh and Shivam Dube are in charge of it. So far, they have manipulated opposition field placements and the lengths bowled by their bowlers well. With the ball in hand, Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakaravarthy are the leaders, with Arshdeep Singh playing a supporting role.
New Zealand, on the other hand, sported a different side in the first game, with the experienced Daryl Mitchell coming in to bat as low as number 6. Although Glenn Phillips top-scored with 78 and led the chase, the Kiwis must settle into a fixed batting lineup as soon as possible. At the top of the order, the likes of Devon Conway, Tim Robinson and Rachin Ravindra need to get them off to a good start. With the ball in hand, the spinners Ish Sodhi and Mitchell Santner will be crucial for them in the middle overs. They will be tasked with the prevention of India's constant rotation of strike.
Predicted Teams
IND: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh.
NZ: Tim Robinson, Devon Conway (wk), Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner (c), Ish Sodhi, Matt Henry, Kristian Clarke.
Key Players
Jasprit Bumrah (IND): Jasprit Bumrah is, undoubtedly, the best fast bowler in the world currently when it comes to tightening things up in a T20 game. The Gujarat speedster has a lot of tricks up his sleeve, including a deadly inswinging yorker which can get the better of most batters in the world. However, it is Bumrah's slingy action that makes him such a challenging customer to deal with. On most occasions, the ball keeps much lower and skids much more than batters expect it to.
Rachin Ravindra (NZ): There is no doubt that Rachin Ravindra is among the most exciting batting talents to come out of New Zealand of late. What impresses cricket fans even more is the fact that he does not seem to hit the ball too hard, and makes it go to the fence purely on the strength of his timing. When in full flow, there are few batters better-looking than Ravindra, and India will look to topple him quickly. However, the youngster is very strong off his legs, and not bad at all on the off-side.
Match Prediction
India should have the upper hand here. They know these conditions well, they are the defending world champions and also the highest-ranked T20I side in the world. Suryakumar Yadav brings a lot of leadership to the table, but most importantly, the Indians are expected to outperform New Zealand when it comes to matters of pure skill. Abhishek Sharma showcased what he can bring to the table with his deadly 84 in the first game. The Kiwis look unlikely to handle India's spinners too well, either.