India and NZ are set to clash again

India and NZ will square off in a three-match T20I series starting on Friday, November 18. New Zealand will be looking to avenge their defeat as the last time the two teams met in a bilateral series India won 3-0.

New Zealand will be captained by Kane Williamson. In the absence of a few prominent players, star all-rounder Hardik Pandya will lead the Men in Blue. Team India will be looking to make a mark after their disappointing T20 World Cup campaign ended in a big defeat to England in the semifinals by 10 wickets.

NZ vs IND: Head-to-head record in T20Is

In 21 T20I cricket matches between the two teams, India has won 11 while the Blackcaps have claimed nine wins. One game had no result. The last time these two teams faced off was in a three-match T20I series played in India in November 2021, in which the hosts won 3-0.

IND vs NZ: Probable Playing XIs

India:  1. Shubman Gill, 2. Ishan Kishan, 3. Shreyas Iyer, 4. Suryakumar Yadav, 5. Hardik Pandya (c), 6. Rishabh Pant (wk), 7. Washington Sundar, 8. Harshal Patel, 9. Mohd. Siraj, 10. Arshdeep Singh, 11. Yuzvendra Chahal

New Zealand: 1. Finn Allen, 2. Devon Conway (wk), 3. Kane Williamson, 4. Glenn Phillips, 5. Daryll Mitchell, 6. James Neesham, 7. Mitchell Santner, 8. Tim Southee, 9. Adam Milne, 10. Ish Sodhi, and 11. Lockie Ferguson

Big Opportunity for Hardik Pandya, says Gavaskar

“This tour will mark the baby steps for India’s T20 team as they look to grow into a team that will sprint for the 2024 World Cup in the Caribbean,” Sunil Gavaskar said to Times of India.

“ Hardik Pandya in the last 18 months has grown from a boy into a man in cricketing terms and the maturity and fortune with which he has taken his cricket to another level has been fascinating to watch. Here is a man who has bounced back after a serious back surgery that could well have ended his career. He has also taken to the captaincy like a duck takes to water and bids fair to keep the captain’s band on his arm for a long time to come. It will be interesting to see how the youngster flowers under him.” he continued

For more sports and entertainment news, follow us on Twitter and Instagram