IND vs NZ 1st T20 Preview: Hardik Pandya, Santner to lead young sides after ODI whitewash

New Delhi: With the ODI series in the pocket, India will go into the T20I series high on confidence. Hardik Pandya will resume his captain duties with yet again a young T20 side. On the other side, Mitchell Santner will be leading the Blackcaps as two young power-hitting T20 sides battle it out in the three-match T20I series.

Gill to open while Arshdeep returns in action

Ruturaj Gaikwad is injured and Hardik Pandya hinted that player-in-form Shubman Gill will be opening the inning with Ishan Kishan. Gill showed his power-hitting prowess in the ODIs where he scored a double ton and a century in the three-match series. This would mean that Prithvi Shaw will have to wait for his turn. Indian batting line-up with Suryakumar Yadav and Pandya in the middle allows the youngsters to bat freely and make the most out of the opportunities.

Look who came visiting at training today in Ranchi – the great @msdhoni! 😊#TeamIndia | #INDvNZ pic.twitter.com/antqqYisOh

— BCCI (@BCCI) January 26, 2023

Arshdeep Singh will be back leading the pack with much-disciplined Umran Malik and Shivam Mavi, who has also shown his batting abilities in the past. Though less experienced, the pace attack has a few different dimensions to trouble the batters. With Washington Sundar and Deepak Hooda in the squad, Kuldeep and Chahal are again likely to fight for a spot.

Ish Sodhi comes back while Ben Lister might debut

With Finn Allen out of form in both ODIs and T20s, Devon Conway has a lot of responsibilities with the bat and the gloves. The likes of Glenn Phillips and in-form Michael Bracewell will be the key for their batting line-up, who showed that they can turn the games against a formidable bowling attack.

The Santner-Sodhi partnership, which has troubled India in the past, is expected to be the trumpet card for the Kiwis. With no Southee and Boult, Lockie Ferguson is to lead the pace attack and Ben Lister is likely to get a debut.

Conclusion

Ranchi’s dew makes the toss crucial as the chasing team will surely benefit. The teams look equal on paper and are equally inexperienced while modern-day T20 players are likely to entertain the viewers.