Key players finding form as India and New Zealand build towards T20 World Cup
India v New Zealand | 2nd T20I | Friday 23rd January | Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur | 3:30m
The current series between India and New Zealand takes in five games. Friday’s encounter is the second match of the series with India 1-0 up after their win on Wednesday night.
India have won each of their last three T20Is against New Zealand.
India are the top ranked T20I side in the world while New Zealand is ranked fourth.
India’s Abhishek Sharma is the top ranked T20I batsman in the world and he lived up to that in teh opening game of the series as he smashed a whirlwind 84 runs from 35 balls.
The cumulative 428 runs scored by the two sides in the opening game of the series was the most ever scored by these teams in a single game.
Black Caps skipper Mitchell Santner says his decision to bowl Glenn Phillips and Daryl Mitchell in key overs during the first T20I was an experiment as part of preparation for the upcoming World Cup. The duo, who bowled one over each went for a collective 41 runs.
Varun Chakravarthy (first) and Jacob Duffy (fourth) are the two top ranked bowlers in the series. They each claimed two wickets in the series opener.
Venue: Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur
Friday’s game at the Shaheed Veer Singh Stadium will be only the second T20I at the venue.
India faced Australia in the only previous T20I hosted at the ground – the home side won that game in December 2023 by 20 runs.
New Zealand have never played a T20 at the venue although they have played one ODI there – a disappointing outing back in 2023 when they were dismissed for a paltry 108 in just 34.3 overs.
No game at the venue has ever ended as a No Result.
The side that won the toss ended up losing in the only previous T20I at the ground.
In the only previous T20I at the ground the side that won the toss elected to field first.
The average first innings score at the ground is 174.
Weather:
Raipur is expected to experience bright, sunny weather with clear skies throughout the day on Friday which is good news for cricket fans. Temperatures will peak at a warm 30 degrees before dropping to a cool 16 at night. With very low humidity and light breezes, it will be a good day for cricket. There will be no rain.
Form (most recent game first):
India: W, W, A, W, L.
New Zealand: L, W, NR, W, W.
Key player:
India, Abhishek Sharma: Abhishek, who is the top ranked T20I batsman in the world can be a bit hit and miss – but he tends to hit more than he misses and in the series opener on Wednesday he smashed a whirlwind 84 from just 35 balls. That’s an incredible strike rate of 240. Abhishek’s T20I career average is 37.46. His career T20I strike rate of 190.92 is the all-time best of any player in T20I cricket. A player who relishes batting at home Abhishek has hit a total of 81 sixes from his 33 innings to date. One thing is certain; he will be looking for the fence from ball one.
New Zealand, Glenn Phillips: The powerfully built middle-order hitter fought valiantly in Wednesday loss as he stroked 78 from 40 ball to keep the Kiwis in the game as they chased an imposing 238. With 318 runs from his last five white ball innings (across all formats) at an average of 106, he has returned from injury to a real purple patch. A key player for the Kiwis due to his ability in the field and with the bat, his good run of form bodes well for the rest of the series and onwards into World Cup.
Verdict: India
These are two explosive teams who are also very consistent, and Friday’s game will be close. New Zealand needs to ensure that India don’t get off to the sort of flyer they did in the opener so that the middle order find themselves under greater pressure. But India has plenty of depth, they have a squad a superb bowlers and they are playing at home. Expect them to win again in Raipur.
