India arrive in New Zealand to take the hosts on in a five-match T20I series followed by ODIs and Tests. In the year of the T20 World Cup, the shortest format holds more importance and the teams have one eye on the tournament as they head into each other once again after a year. Here's a glance at some players to watch out for from this series.
Tim Seifert
The wicket-keeper batsman has a pretty good record against India as he was the Man of the Series the last time these two teams played each other in a T20I series. At Wellington, in the series opener, Seifert made 84 in 43 balls and set up a total of 219 as New Zealand went on to win. He showcased his value yet again at Hamilton with a 43 in 25 balls as Munro and him put on an 80 run opening stand in 7.4 overs. He might be asked to bat in the middle-order, though, this time around.
READ: Why Tim Seifert could be the threat for India
Virat Kohli
Kohli is a rather understated T20 batsman although he has the highest average for any batsman with at least 15 innings in the shortest format of the game. In 10 innings in 2019 in T20Is, Kohli averaged 77.66 with five half-centuries and a strike rate of close to 150. In the three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka early this year, Kohli couldn't quite get going and he will be eyeing to make amends this series.
Rohit Sharma
Virat Kohli and KL Rahul are the highest run getters in T20Is for India since 2019, but Rohit Sharma has had an equally good influence in the shortest format of the game. The Mumbaikar has made 396 runs in 14 innings since the beginning of 2019 at an average of 28.28 and a strike rate of 138.46. While the numbers aren't overwhelming, he made resounding knocks of 67 (51) against West Indies, 85 (43) against Bangladesh and his last innings, a 34-ball 71 against West Indies. Last year, on the New Zealand tour as skipper, Rohit made a 29-ball half-century at Auckland.
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Hamish Bennett
The tall hit-the-deck pacer is set to make his T20I debut this series but has already played Tests and ODIs. Already 32, Bennett has had injuries on and off and returns to the setup after a compelling performance in the Super Smash for Wellington. The pacer was the top wicket-taker this year in the Super Smash with 17 wickets in 11 matches including a three-wicket haul in the finals of the tournament that his team won. Bennett is also known for dismissing Virat Kohli in 2014 in an ODI series after bowling 15 dot balls at him, including the wicket-taking delivery, in a total of 16 deliveries at the Indian skipper.
Navdeep Saini
It's still early days for Navdeep Saini in international cricket but he has shown good temperament under pressure so far suggesting that India could persist with him for a while. The tall, lanky pacer is capable of extracting extra bounce and can also nail his yorkers making him an asset across phases of a T20I innings. In 8 T20Is for India, Saini has 11 wickets at an impressive average of 16.63 and an economy less than 7.5. His qualities should suit the New Zealand decks and Saini could just prove to be an x-factor for the visitors.
Feature image courtesy: AFP/ Manjunath Kiran
