Last Updated on 4 months by Charbel Coorey

IND vs NZ 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | IND vs NZ Dream11 Prediction Today | India vs New Zealand Key Players | Jaipur Pitch Report

The juggernaut of international cricket rolls as India and New Zealand gear up to lock horns in a three-match T20I series, starting November 17 in Jaipur.

It’s been just three days since the T20 World Cup came to a close in the UAE. New Zealand will look to move on from the heartbreak they suffered at the hands of Australia in the summit clash and start from scratch as they aim to build their side for the next World Cup, which starts in Australia in 11 months time. Kane Williamson has opted out of the series and in his absence, Tim Southee will take up the leadership reins.

India, on the other hand, will usher in a new era in the shortest format under the newly appointed leadership duo of captain Rohit Sharma and coach Rahul Dravid. The T20 World Cup proved to be nightmare for the ‘Men in Blue’ as they crashed out of the league stage following back-to-back defeats to Pakistan and New Zealand.

There are few new faces in the squad in the form of Ruturaj Gaikwad, Venkatesh Iyer, Avesh Khan, Harshal Patel while Yuzvendra Chahal has earned a recall after being snubbed from the set-up ahead of the World Cup.

Also read: 3 ways India can revive their T20I cricket

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

India:

• KL Rahul: The opener loves batting against the Kiwis in this format. In six innings, he has racked up 242 runs at an average of 48.40 and a strike rate of 141.52 with two 50+ scores.
• Rohit Sharma: The new T20I skipper is the leading scorer among Indians against the Kiwis. In 14 innings, he has scored 352 runs at an average of 29.33 and a strike rate of 135.90 with 4 50+ scores.
• SuryaKumar Yadav: The Mumbai batter missed out on a crucial game against the Kiwis in the WC due to injury. He didn’t have much to do in the tournament but the stylish batsman has had a stellar start to his international T20 career. He will be extremely crucial in the middle overs against the likes of Ish Sodhi and Mitchell Santner.
• Shreyas Iyer: The right-hander has a solid T20I record vs New Zealand: 7 inns, 182 runs, avg. 36.40, SR 127.27.
• Harshal Patel: The seamer is coming off a record-breaking IPL season, where he took the most wickets by an Indian bowler in a single edition (32).
• Yuzvendra Chahal: The leg-spinner will have a point to prove in this series following his snub from the T20 WC squad. Chahal was brilliant during the second leg of the IPL. However, he managed just 1 wicket in 5 games in the recent Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament.

New Zealand:

• Daryl Mitchell: Mitchell made full use of the opportunity to open the innings in the World Cup. With 208 runs in 7 innings at 34.66 and a strike rate of 140.54, Mitchell was the 2nd highest run-scorer for his side in the tournament which includes a match-winning 72* in the Semi Final against England.
• Tim Seifert: Conway’s absence means Seifert will get an extended opportunity to showcase his credentials in the series. Since the start of 2020, he is the fifth highest run-getter for the Kiwis in the format: 395 runs in 16 innings at 32.91/128.24.
• Ish Sodhi: Sodhi loves bowling to Indian batsmen. In 13 games, he has claimed 19 wickets at an average of 17.94 and an economy rate of 7.25. His figures of 2/17 in 4 overs in the T20 WC was one of the major reasons why India posted just 110 in 20 overs.
• Mitchell Santner: The left-arm Orthodox is the second highest wicket-taker for NZ in T20Is against India.  In 13 innings, he has claimed 12 wickets at an average of 28.58 and an economy rate of 7.29.
• Trent Boult deserves to be in the T20 World Cup team of the tournament. He took 13 wickets in the campaign, including 3/20 vs India.

Stats and Facts

• Both sides have locked horns in 17 T20Is, with India winning 6 and losing 9.
• Last time these two sides played a bilateral T20I series, India thumped the Kiwis 5-0.
• This will be the first international match at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium since the 2013 India-Australia ODI.
• Last time Rohit Sharma led India in a T20I series against New Zealand- February 2019- the Kiwis won 2-1.

Possible Playing 11

With Hardik Pandya not a part of the squad, it will be interesting to see how India balance their playing XI. Will they go with a spin all-rounder in the form of Axar Patel or will they punt on Venkatesh Iyer in the role of a seam bowler + finisher? Also, will Shreyas Iyer get a place in the starting XI or will they stick with Ishan Kishan? Also, if Kishan plays, will he slotted in the middle-order or will one of Rahul or Rohit get denoted to the middle-order spot?

India: 1. Rohit Sharma, 2. KL Rahul, 3. SuryaKumar Yadav, 4. Shreyas Iyer, 5. Rishabh Pant (wk), 6. Venkatesh Iyer, 7. Axar Patel/R Ashwin, 8. Harshal Patel, 9. Deepak Chahar/Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10. Avesh Khan/Mohammaed Siraj, 11. Yuzvendra Chahal

Kane Williamson will miss the T20I series, as will Devon Conway. Also, it remains to be seen if Lockie Ferguson is fit enough to play after missing the World Cup.

New Zealand: 1. Martin Guptill, 2. Daryl Mitchell, 3. Tim Seifert (wk), 4. Glenn Phillips, 5. Mark Chapman, 6. James Neesham, 7. Mitchell Santner, 8. Tim Southee (c), 9. Lockie Ferguson/Adam Milne, 10. Ish Sodhi, 11. Trent Boult

Jaipur Pitch Report and Weather Conditions

The pitch at the Sawai Man Singh stadium has always been a batting paradise. Flat pitch and small ground, it is fair to say that bowlers will have their work cut out.

As far as the weather is concerned, it is expected to be partly cloudy in Jaipur on Wednesday. But the chance of rain playing spoilsport can be ruled out. The temperatures will hover between 13-26 and humidity is set to be around 32%.

Dream11 Prediction

Note: The teams below are not based on final XIs. We may not be able to update teams in time for the match after the playing XIs are announced.

Option 1:

Option 2:

Fan2Play Prediction

Base team:

• Wicket-keepers: Rishabh Pant
• Batsmen: Daryl Mitchell, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul
• All-rounders: James Neesham
• Bowlers: Trent Boult, Ish Sodhi, Yuzvendra Chahal

Match Prediction

It’s not wise to predict in T20s. India will finish as slight favorites as they are playing on home soil but to be brutally honest, it’s 50-50. Since, it’s a night game, once again toss can prove to be decisive factor.

Also read: 3 ways India can revive their T20I cricket