IND vs NZ Match Preview
India has made a few changes to its T20 squad from the one that faced Sri Lanka. The most notable change is the return of Prithvi Shaw to the lineup. He may have to wait for his turn, though, as Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill could start the series. Gill has scored 567 runs in ODI cricket in 2023 already but his T20 scores against Sri Lanka were not the best. Still, confidence from one format can carry over.
Rahul Tripathi at 3 and Suryakumar Yadav at 4 seem to be the way that India is going to go. Hardik Pandya, Deepak Hooda, and Washington Sundar will round out the batting lineup.
Shivam Mavi, Umran Malik, Arshdeep Singh, and one out of Kuldeep Yadav or Yuzvendra Chahal are likely to round out the bowling lineup.
New Zealand has a number of all-rounders that give it tremendous batting depth and allow it to play aggressively without fear.
Players like Mark Chapman, Michael Bracewell, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner, and Glenn Phillips all play a number of roles in the team giving it fantastic flexibility. Devon Conway and Finn Allen will be the aggressors at the top and set the tone.
The bowling unit is weakened by not having Tim Southee and Trent Boult available but this is a format in which Lockie Ferguson is formidable to face. Ish Sodhi and Mitch Santner will be used at key moments with Blair Tickner and perhaps Jacob Duffy rounding out the rest.
Weather Report
There is absolutely no rain predicted in Ranchi on match day.
Pitch Report
The pitch in Ranchi is a bit slow and tends to help the spinners. The average score is just about 157 but it has been quite long since the venue has hosted a high-profile T20 match.
Spinners have the lowest economy and the best average when it comes to the bowlers. Both teams have the players to take advantage of such conditions.
Notable stats
Gill in White-Hot Form
567 runs in 2023 and we are still in January. That is just how much Shubman Gill has taken to ODI cricket and is dominating it. Will that form translate to success in T20 cricket as well? We would not bet against him right now, that is for sure!
Team News
There are no major injury concerns for either team head of the first match.
IND vs NZ Probable 11
IND Playing 11
- Shubman Gill
- Ishan Kishan (Wk)
- Rahul Tripathi
- Suryakumar Yadav
- Hardik Pandya (C)
- Deepak Hooda
- Washington Sundar
- Shivam Mavi
- Arshdeep Singh
- Umran Malik
- Yuzvendra Chahal
NZ Playing 11
- Finn Allen
- Devon Conway (Wk)
- Mark Chapman
- Daryl Mitchell
- Glenn Phillips
- Michael Bracewell
- Mitchell Santner (C)
- Blair Tickner
- Lockie Ferguson
- Ish Sodhi
- Jacob Duffy
Dream11 Prediction
We think India is a formidable team to play at home in any format but the T20 format is where it is the most vulnerable. With a young team that is still finding its feet, a batting lineup that is no set in stone, and a bowling attack that is quite inexperienced, India can be taken down. New Zealand is a stronger team than most people are giving it credit for and we think they have a good chance of pulling off an upset.
Top Picks
Hardik Pandya - Back in a complete all-rounder's role, Pandya tends to bowl one or two overs with the new ball and bats at number five in most matches. That makes him an excellent prosp[ect for the Dream11 tea,m since he contributed in all disciplines.
Daryll Mitchell - Mitchell can go surprisingly low-owned in Dream11 contests and could be a useful differentiator. He bats at number four and bowls a couple of voters as needed.
Mitchell Santner - We think he is the one bowler that could make life tough for India. Loves bowling in tough situations, uses the pace well, and is very dangerous if there is any help on offer.
IND vs NZ Dream11 Team 1
Keeper: D Conway
Batters: S Yadav, D Mitchell (C), G Phillips, R Tripathi, F Allen, S Gill
All-rounders: M Bracewell, M Santner, H Pandya (VC)
Bowlers: L Ferguson
