India vs New Zealand, Nagpur T20I: Key player matchups
What's the story
The five-match T20I series between India and New Zealand will commence on January 21 at Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur. With Suryakumar Yadav captaining a strong side, the series is crucial for India's preparation for the forthcoming ICC T20 World Cup. Meanwhile, the Kiwis have also named a strong squad with Mitchell Santner as captain. Here are the key player matchups.
#1
Abhishek Sharma vs Kyle Jamieson
Abhishek Sharma has been the chief architect of India's golden run in T20Is. His blistering starts, where he comes down the track from Ball 1, have been pivotal to India. Abhishek, who has a strike rate of 188.02 in T20Is, will face the tall Kyle Jamieson first up. The latter would want to trap Abhishek, who cramps up when facing short deliveries.
#2
Suryakumar Yadav vs Mitchell Santner
Indian captain Suryakumar would like to find his Midas touch before the all-important ICC T20 World Cup. He has been far from his best in the only format he plays. Stopping him would be his counterpart, Mitchell Santner. According to ESPNcricinfo, the left-arm spinner has dismissed SKY thrice in eight T20 innings. Suryakumar has a strike rate of 91.22 in this battle.
#3
Daryl Mitchell vs Varun Chakravarthy
All-rounder Daryl Mitchell had an outstanding run in the three-match ODI series against India. While New Zealand won the historic series, Mitchell stood out with 352 runs. In the impending T20Is, he could be challenged by Varun Chakravarthy, the Indian mystery spinner. According to ESPNcricinfo, the Kiwi all-rounder has managed just nine runs off 14 balls against Chakravarthy. The tally includes six dot balls.
Others
Other key matchups on offer
It will be interesting to see how the New Zealand openers tackle a fired-up Jasprit Bumrah. Jacob Duffy, who has been among the wickets of late, will certainly test the Indian top order. Notably, Hardik Pandya has hammered Matt Henry for two sixes off just three balls in T20 cricket. Indian opener Sanju Samson could be tested by the Kiwi seamers with short balls.