Have India learnt anything? Of course, but is it substantial enough? Perhaps not!

Shubman Gill

Hardik Pandya

Washington Sundar

Umran Malik

Arshdeep Singh

Shivam Mavi

New Zealand tour of India, 2023

India

India conquer the New Zealand test but at what cost?

The South Africa white-ball captain was initially overlooked in the auction

Temba Bavuma

SA20 League, 2023

Sunrisers Eastern Cape

Temba Bavuma joins Sunrisers Eastern Cape for remainder of SA20

The leg-spinner recently became England's youngest Test player

Tom Abell

Saqib Mahmood

Rehan Ahmed

England tour of Bangladesh, 2023

England

Bangladesh

Rehan Ahmed receives maiden ODI, T20I call-up for Bangladesh tour

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Ranji Trophy, 2022/23

Stumps: All to play for in Indore but PUN, KAR, BEN inch closer to semis

Meanwhile, Ravindra Jadeja has been given the green signal to join the Indian team camp ahead of the first Test 

Ravindra Jadeja

Shreyas Iyer

Australia tour of India, 2023

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Brisbane, Trent Bridge, Lord’s, Adelaide, Vijay stood like a rock and weathered the storm

Murali Vijay

Virat Kohli

Shikhar Dhawan

Virender Sehwag

Gautam Gambhir

Chennai Super Kings

Murali Vijay: The Monk who  ̶s̶o̶l̶d̶ ̶ flaunted his Ferrari


<a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/63751/hardik-pandya/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Hardik Pandya</a> was a boundary-hitting machine in his initial days but the ace all-rounder has evolved so much that he believes he can play any role for his team. The Indian T20I captain is quite close to MS Dhoni in real life and now doesn&rsquo;t mind playing the same role the former wicketkeeper-batsman from Jharkhand used to play for India.&quot;See, to be honest, I&#39;ve always enjoyed hitting sixes, but I have to evolve and that is life. I have to take the other part where I&#39;ve always believed in partnerships. I want to give my team and the other person more calmness and the assurance that at least I&#39;m there,&rdquo; said Pandya after leading India to a 2-1 victory over New Zealand in Ahmedabad on Wednesday (February 1).&ldquo;I&#39;ve played more games than any of those guys out there. So, I&#39;ve known the experience and more than the experience part, it&#39;s where I&#39;ve batted, and I&#39;ve learnt how to accept pressure and I&#39;ve learnt how to kind of swallow the pressure and kind of make sure the team and everything is calm.&nbsp;&ldquo;In that way, maybe I have to get my strike rate down or... Taking new opportunities or taking new roles is (something) I&#39;ve always looked forward to. I don&#39;t mind coming in and playing the role which somewhere down the line Maahi (Dhoni) used to play.&nbsp;&quot;I think at that time, I was young, and I was hitting all around the park, but now since he has gone, all of a sudden that responsibility... It has just naturally come to me, and I don&#39;t mind doing it. We&#39;re getting the result we want and it&#39;s okay.&quot;<a href="https://www.cricket.com/news/india-conquer-the-new-zealand-test-but-at-what-cost-1675278868329" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Also read: India conquer the New Zealand test but at what cost?</a>Pandya is someone who likes to lead by example. He had always been a clutch player and enjoys thriving under pressure. In the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, Pandya has also started bowling tough overs for India. The right-arm paceman can now swing the ball both ways and is constantly bowling in the powerplay.&ldquo;I had to bowl with the new ball (in T20Is) because Arshdeep (Singh)... I don&#39;t want any new guy to come and have that difficult role of [bowling first up with the new ball] because if they&#39;re put under pressure, then we&#39;re chasing the game. So, I&#39;ve always been (like) leading from the front and I&#39;ve been working on my new-ball skills, which is helping me.&quot;With a 50-over World Cup scheduled in India for October-November this year and a T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA in 2024, Pandya is not thinking about Test cricket. He hasn&rsquo;t played any red-ball cricket since December 2018 and just wants to focus on white-ball cricket.&quot;I will come (back) when I feel it&#39;s the right time to play Test-match cricket. Right now, I&#39;m going to focus on white-ball cricket, which is important, and if time is right and body is fine, I&#39;ll give (the long format) a try.&quot;Talking about Shubman Gill, who smoked 126* off 63 deliveries to prove his worth in the shortest format of the game, Pandya said: &quot;He&#39;s technically so sound that it&#39;s very easy for him. It&#39;s just a switch he needs to do to play T20, ODI and Test cricket because he has the game for all formats.&quot;So, to be honest, he&#39;s not someone who does not need to play behind the wicket because of the kind of shots he can play all around in front of the wicket with the gaps. He&#39;s actually one of those batsmen along with Surya (Suryakumar Yadav) who can hit good balls and make them a bad ball.&quot;Having said that, it&#39;s just tremendous seeing his growth and it has been very fruitful for me (as captain). He&#39;s a kid who has a right head on his shoulders and going forward I think he&#39;s going to be a great value and asset for the Indian cricket team. I wish the best to him, and I want him to continue the great run, which he is having.&quot;Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

The Indian T20I skipper wants to take on difficult roles and make things easier for young players

Don't mind coming in and playing the MS Dhoni role: Hardik Pandya

After a snoozefest in Lucknow, this series needed some spice and the third T20I provided exactly that. Batting first, India posted a mammoth total of 234/4, thanks to a sensational ton by <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/66818/shubman-gill/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Shubman Gill</a>. However, what happened in the chase was least expected.New Zealand were bundled out for 66, at one point of time, they were four down for seven runs. Eventually, Gill won by 60 runs against New Zealand and India won by 168 runs.Glamorous GillWhen Gill was picked ahead of <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/66812/prithvi-shaw/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Prithvi Shaw</a>, there were all sorts of critics around him. With a ton in his sixth innings, he certainly has silenced everyone. On his way to an unbeaten 126, Gill smashed a few records, and here is a list of them:<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1675282996024-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-fil">-Gill is now the fifth Indian after <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/3700/suresh-raina/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Suresh Raina</a>, <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/3852/rohit-sharma/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Rohit Sharma</a>, <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/60122/kl-rahul/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">KL Rahul</a> and <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/3993/virat-kohli/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Virat Kohli</a> to register a ton across all three formats.-Across the limited over formats, he is only the fourth batter overall (Chris Gayle, Rohit, Martin Guptill) to hit a double ton in ODIs and a century in T20Is. Adding further, Gill and Rohit are the only two batters to achieve this feat in the same year, same tour, and against the same opposition. Rohit scored 208* (ODIs) and 118 (T20I) against Sri Lanka in 2017.<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1675283048019-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-fil">-At the age of 23 years and 146 days, Gill became the youngest Indian batter to hit a ton in T20Is. Also, he is the second youngest after <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/4250/ahmed-shehzad/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ahmed Shehzad</a> (22 years and 127 days), to hit a ton across all formats.-In his innings, Gill smashed 19 boundaries, 12 fours and seven sixes. These are the third most boundaries hit by an Indian batter in a T20I innings. Rohit in his knock of 118 against Sri Lanka in 2017, had hit 22 boundaries (4s/6s &ndash; 12/10), the most. Surya&rsquo;s 117 against England in 2022, consisted of 20 boundaries (4s/6s &ndash; 14/6).<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1675283103940-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-fil">-His unbeaten score of 126, is the highest score by an Indian in T20Is. Previously, Virat Kohli had scored 122* against Afghanistan in 2022, the highest.-This is also the highest score by any batter against New Zealand in the format. Richard Levi&rsquo;s 117* in 2012, was the previous best.Hardik and Gill accelerate at rapid paceIndia were scoring at a good pace (125 in 12.3 overs) when <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/63751/hardik-pandya/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Hardik Pandya</a> and Gill joined together. With a great platform laid, both batters took on the bowlers and accelerated even better.The pair put on a partnership of 103 in just 40 balls, for the fourth wicket. They scored at a run rate of 15.4. This is the best run rate in a 100+run partnership for an Indian pair.New Zealand fumble earlyChasing a target of 235 was always a daunting task. For that to happen, New Zealand required a good start up top. But, their top order turned out to be a dud. None of their top four scored more than three.Which is the reason why, they were four down for just seven runs. In a T20I innings only once had they lost their first four wickets earlier, and that came against Pakistan in 2010 in Christchurch (3/4).Against India, New Zealand&rsquo;s score of seven was the lowest total to which a team had lost its four wickets. Prior to this, South Africa in 2022 in Thiruvananthapuram, had lost four wickets for eight.<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1675283173948-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-fil">India went on to add another wicket, taking the tally to five. At the end of the sixth over, New Zealand were 30/5, which is the joint third-best bowling performance by India in the first six overs. &nbsp;An all-time low against IndiaYes, the target was massive, but New Zealand didn&rsquo;t even put up a fight. They were bundled out for 66 in 12.1 overs, the least number of overs they have faced in a T20I innings. In terms of runs, only against Sri Lanka in 2014, and Bangladesh in 2021, they had scored less (60).<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1675283229962-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-fil">Against India, this is the lowest-ever total by a team in the format. Previously, Ireland in 2018, were skittled out for 70. Interestingly, before the second T20I, New Zealand never scored a total below 100 against India. Now, in consecutive matches, they have suffered low totals.This is also the lowest total by any team on Indian soil. Bangladesh&rsquo;s 70 against New Zealand at Eden Gardens in 2016, was the lowest.Gigantic winAs an effect of being all-out for 66, New Zealand suffered a 168-run margin defeat. In T20Is, this is the biggest margin of win against a full member nation.<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1675283287942-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-fil">For a Test-playing nation, only Sri Lanka against Kenya in the 2007 World Cup, has a bigger win. They won that match by 172 runs.FEW OTHER STATS-At home, this was India&rsquo;s 50th T20I win, the most by a team at home. New Zealand&rsquo;s 44 wins is the next most wins for a team at home.-In this innings, Blair Tickner conceded 50 runs in three overs at an economy of 16.7. Among New Zealand bowlers who have bowled three-plus overs in an innings, only Ben Wheeler against Australia in 2018, had conceded at a higher economy rate (20.2).-India&rsquo;s total of 234/4, is the third-highest total against New Zealand in T20Is. Australia&rsquo;s 245/5 in 2018, is the highest score.&nbsp;Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

Here are a few noteworthy stats from the third T20I between India and New Zealand in Ahmedabad

Blair Tickner

New Zealand

Stats: India register the biggest win after Gill’s record-breaking ton

Ahead of the series, if you had asked the Indian management on what their realistic expectations of the series were, they would have hoped for a win. But somewhere in between, they would have also given you a checklist of things that they would have hoped for but not a lot of that matched the list.In fact, there were some that came out of it, there were some that now give them more headache than it should have in the first place. Most of it boils down to the decisions that they have taken during the course of the series, more often than not, down to the captaincy from Hardik Pandya, wherein he has made some bold calls.&ldquo;Not to be honest, I always play the game like this. I try to read what is required, not have preconceived ideas,&rdquo; it is only fitting that Hardik had uttered those words at the post-match presentation.Gill&rsquo;s stocks go up, Kishan&rsquo;s crashes downIn between <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/66818/shubman-gill/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Shubman Gill</a> and <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/64712/ishan-kishan/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ishan Kishan</a>, there is an experience of a total 33 matches. If you had glanced today (February 1)&rsquo;s match, you would naturally gravitate towards Gill being the senior batter but that&rsquo;s where you are wrong. Kishan has played 27 T20Is, and in contrast, the right-handed Gill has played only six.<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1675279310038-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">But if the third T20I was a measure of both their talents, then it is clear that Gill&rsquo;s stocks are at an all-time high. Every bit of today&rsquo;s innings had the magical element from the right-hander. What&rsquo;s more astonishing was the way he approached his innings, and the way he took down the bowling unit nonchalantly.Right from the word go, Gill attacked the bowlers, with his 50 coming off 35 balls, where he hit seven boundaries. But post getting to fifty, the right-hander tore into the bowling attack, with his next 50 coming off just 19 balls, smashing two fours and five sixes. In the 19 deliveries that he faced at the death, his numbers read 59 runs in 19 balls, striking at a god-rate of 310.53.<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1675279287088-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">And then there was Kishan. His talent is well known but so are his shortcomings. In just the powerplay phase, the left-hander has faced 28 deliveries but only has scored two fours, and 16 runs. Half of his runs have come in boundaries and essentially, he has not rotated strike effectively. Even in the middle-overs, eight runs off 12 balls isn&rsquo;t quite pleasing. After playing 27 T20Is, the management might be tempted to look elsewhere.Umm, did India learn anything?Wasn&rsquo;t India&rsquo;s main motive in the series to learn about the squad. To learn about their bowlers? If that was indeed the motive, they might have failed. Failed terribly as well. Think about it, whether it was bowling just two overs of <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/9844/yuzvendra-chahal/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Yuzvendra Chahal</a> in the second T20I, or bowling just the one over of Umran Malik in the first, Hardik&rsquo;s captaincy at most points in the series was vividly puzzling. You could even call it astonishing but in a negative manner.&quot;I have got a very simple rule about my life and captaincy: if I go down, I will go down on my decisions. So at the end of the day, I take calls on my own because I like to take the ownership,&quot; is what Hardik had to say about that.Even today, Hardik might have ended the innings with four wickets against his name but to introduce <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/66984/shivam-mavi/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Shivam Mavi</a> into the attack in the ninth over was quite a shocking move. Think about this, Mavi has bowled 56 overs in the powerplay, the most he has bowled in any phase. And then he gets none in the second and third T20I during that phase. It doesn&rsquo;t end there. Both in the second and third T20I, Hardik reintroduced himself into the attack at the death. But was there a need for it? Nope, isn&rsquo;t that where the other bowlers need to be tested?If anything, in the third, India might have been happy with the fact that Arshdeep Singh&#39;s first spell was a banger, where he picked up two crucial wickets but barring that? Nah!Washington, an interesting prospectWhile it was puzzling to see what Hardik had done with the other bowlers, it was equally amazing to see how Hardik had used <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/65859/washington-sundar/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Washington Sundar</a> in the first two games. The off-spinner was mightily effective with the new ball in both the games. Not just that, during India&rsquo;s lose in the first T20I, it was the left-hander&rsquo;s knock which turned out to be a near match-winner.<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1675279335051-articleimg" class="fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 700px;">In that clash, coming ahead of Deepak Hooda, the left-hander smashed a 50 off just 28 deliveries, where he nearly threatened to take the game away from the BlackCaps. In the four overs that Washington bowled during the powerplay, he conceded runs at an economy rate of just 5.3, and more so, picked up three crucial wickets.The T20 World Cup might be a year away but the way the all-rounder has shown his worth, time and again, India might have to find a place to force-fit him into the setup. There is no real other way that the left-hander would get to feature for the national team.Let&rsquo;s talk about Rahul Tripathi<a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/41229/rahul-tripathi/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Rahul Tripathi</a> is someone who once he takes off, takes off for good. In the third T20I, the crowd at the Narendra Modi Stadium knew what it is like when the right-hander takes off. Right from the word go, his intent was clear: go after the bowlers. Perhaps, defending isn&rsquo;t part of Tripathi&rsquo;s cricketing dictionary after all.What was really interesting though was how he approached his innings, which allowed Gill some freedom at the non-striker&rsquo;s end. In an interesting pattern, including the pitches that had no runs on it, Tripathi struck at 104.88 in the powerplay before planting his front-foot to increase the strike-rate to 200 and eventually end up with one that read 300. It is almost very easy to forget the impact that the right-hander had on the fixture.<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1675279388058-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">But during his stay, Tripathi scored 44 runs off just 22 balls, with four boundaries and three sixes with a strike-rate of 200. It is not that 44 which matters but how quickly that 44 dampened New Zealand&rsquo;s spirits. It is often knocks like these that can accelerate a team to a great total. If India scored 234, a lot of credits should go to Tripathi for the impetus.Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

India suffered a rare blip under the captaincy of <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/63751/hardik-pandya/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Hardik Pandya</a> in the first T20I in Ranchi but after getting back to winning ways in Lucknow, they registered yet another bilateral victory as they downed New Zealand in Ahmedabad to pocket the series 2-1. It wasn&rsquo;t just an ordinary victory: at the Narendra Modi Stadium, the Men in Blue registered their biggest ever victory in T20Is, smashing the Black Caps by 168 runs.&nbsp;While <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/66818/shubman-gill/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Shubman Gill</a>&rsquo;s stunning century contributed to the win, the hosts were equally dominant on the field. And as he&rsquo;s been doing all summer, skipper Hardik Pandya didn&rsquo;t put a foot wrong as both captain and bowler.&nbsp;Every tactical call Pandya made worked and, to go along with that, he proved to be India&rsquo;s most effective bowler on the night too, as he registered his best ever figures in T20Is, taking 4/16 off 4 overs.With the victory, Pandya registered his third consecutive series win as captain in the shortest format. When asked to summarize his thought process as skipper, the 29-year-old said the following: &lsquo;If I go down, I will go down on my terms&rsquo;.&ldquo;I try to read what is required, not have preconceived ideas. In my captaincy, I look to keep it simple and back my gut. I have a simple rule - if I go down, I will go down on my terms,&rdquo; Pandya said in the post-match presentation.Pandya was named Player of the Series for his all-round efforts &mdash; 66 runs and 5 wickets &mdash; but the skipper downplayed his influence and credited the support staff for the team&rsquo;s ruthless showing.&ldquo;I don&#39;t mind winning (man of the series award), but there were so many performances here that were exceptional. This Man of the Series and trophy goes out to the whole support staff, I&#39;m happy for all of them,&rdquo; the skipper added.Not for the first time this year, however, all the limelight was stolen by Shubman Gill. There were questions surrounding Gill&rsquo;s suitability for the shortest format heading into the contest, but he smashed all doubts by scoring his maiden T20 hundred. At the Narendra Modi Stadium, in a knock that saw him smash 7 sweet sixes, Gill ended up posting the highest ever individual score by an Indian in T20Is.Gill credited skipper Pandya for backing him.&ldquo;It feels good when you practise and it pays off. Happy to get the big ones for the team,&rdquo; Gill said.&ldquo;Hardik bhai told me to bat the way I do, and that there is no need to do anything extra. He kept backing me.&rdquo;Now a three-format player, Gill quickly shot down suggestions that playing all three formats could potentially be a tiring prospect.&ldquo;When you represent your country, there is no fatigue. It was my dream to play for India, and I am very fortunate to be part of the team in all three formats,&rdquo; the 23-year-old said.Gill and India&rsquo;s next assignment is a four-Test series against Australia, starting February 9th. In the absence of Shreyas Iyer, Gill is expected to play in the middle-order in the first Test in Nagpur.Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

Pandya was named Player of the Series for his all-round efforts but the skipper downplayed his influence and credited the support staff for the team’s showing

‘If I go down, I will go down on my terms’ - Hardik’s captaincy mantra

India vs New Zealand, 3rd T20I, Ahmedabad: Live-Blog

Records tumble as Gill, Pandya power India to series win

India had to struggle really hard in Lucknow to chase down a paltry target of 100 runs and eventually managed to get over the line in the final over of the match. Such had been the nature of the wicket that skipper Hardik Pandya called the wicket &ldquo;a shocker&rdquo; and later reports emerged that the curator was sacked from his role following the second T20 match between India and New Zealand.However, ahead of the final game in Ahmedabad, Indian vice-captain, Suryakumar Yadav stated that the team have moved on from it and are now ready to battle it out on whatever surface that would be dished out for the team going forward. Yadav, who made his international debut at the same Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad in March 2021, added that the team wouldn&rsquo;t get worried about things that are not in their control.&quot;It doesn&#39;t matter what soil you play on. These are the things which aren&#39;t in your control. Whatever was in our control, we did in the last game. And we had to apply and adapt whatever we got. Also, it was an exciting game. No matter what the condition or the format is, if both teams try to have a good competition...wicket shouldn&#39;t matter a lot. You go out there, have a challenge, accept it, and move on,&quot; Suryakumar said in the pre-match press conference.&quot;It is completely fine. But we had a chat later on and it was like whatever we get in the future we will go on with it,&quot; he added.For Suryakumar, returning to Ahmedabad is a happy memory. After being unfairly ignored for the longest time, Yadav made his debut for India in 2021 against England in Ahmedabad and since then, hasn&rsquo;t looked back. He has become the No.1 batter in the ICC T20 rankings and has taken the world of cricket by storm.&ldquo;It feels good. When I came to the dressing room, I told our manager that I have come back to where it started. I was taking the steps down quietly and thinking back of 2021&hellip;great memories. This will be completely different. Expecting an amazing crowd at the beautiful stadium.&rdquo;Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

Reports emerged that the curator was sacked from his role following the second T20 match between India and New Zealand

Suryakumar Yadav

It doesn't matter what soil you play on : Suryakumar Yadav

&quot;Both the games we have played so far&hellip; I don&#39;t mind difficult wickets. I am all up for that, but these two wickets are not made for T20.&rdquo;This India vs New Zealand, it&rsquo;s been a strange series so far. If you are a fan of fours and sixes, <a href="https://www.cricket.com/news/diary-of-a-disappointed-lucknowite-1675023260680" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the second T20I in Lucknow would have been a snoozefest</a>. We still got some action in the first encounter in Ranchi but not a single maximum was hit at the Ekana Stadium. The spinners have been unhittable and even Deepak Hooda and Glenn Phillips have been having a gala time with their part-time off-spin.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cricket.com/news/live-blog/219590/ind-vs-nz-2nd-t20i-new-zealand-in-india-3-t20i-series-2023/india-vs-new-zealand-2nd-t20i-lucknow-live-blog-1674994875535" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Black Caps got the better of India in the first T20I</a> but the hosts somehow managed to level the series in Lucknow. The reason why we have used the term &lsquo;somehow&rsquo; is because it took India 19.5 overs to chase down a target of just 100. Hence, you would understand why Indian skipper <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/63751/hardik-pandya/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Hardik Pandya</a> went on to describe <a href="https://www.cricket.com/news/it-was-a-shocker-of-a-wicket-pandya-on-lucknow-pitch-1675015184042" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the Lucknow pitch as a &quot;shocker&quot;</a> and also made the aforementioned statement.One good thing did happen though - the Men in Blue emerged victorious and kept the series alive, with everything to play for in Ahmedabad on Wednesday (February 1). The Narendra Modi Stadium has been kind to batters since 2021 and we could finally get to see a high-scoring affair in this series.&nbsp;This will also be India&rsquo;s last T20I for a while as the focus will shift to the all-important Australia Test series, Indian Premier League 2023, World Test Championship final, and then the 50-over World Cup. India have made some strange selections in the last two series and there&rsquo;s a high possibility that we might not see some of these players even in the squad once the T20I season returns before the 2024 T20 World Cup. Hence, all these players would be eager to do well in the decider and leave some sort of a lasting impression.&nbsp;Things to look out forThis will be an important game for India&rsquo;s top-three batters - Ishan Kishan, Shubman Gill and Rahul Tripathi. You could cut Tripathi some slack as he has featured in only four T20Is and two of those have come in this series. The right-hander is an intent merchant and got that 35 off 16 against Sri Lanka but hasn&rsquo;t done much in this series. He had to wait for a while to make his T20I debut, but is already 31 and will have to make every opportunity count.&nbsp;<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1675161215047-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Then you have got Kishan and Gill. The latter has been in unbelievable ODI form but hasn&rsquo;t been able to ace the 20-over format. His strike rate in the powerplay has always raised questions but if there was one batter India would have hoped would do well in these conditions was Gill. Meanwhile, Kishan has already featured in 26 T20Is but has a mediocre average of 26.08 and a strike rate of 123.25. The left-hander has looked completely clueless in this series and it will become very difficult for him to retain his spot if he continues to struggle, especially with so many others waiting in the wings.India&rsquo;s frontline seamers Arshdeep Singh, Shivam Mavi, and Umran Malik have only bowled 10 overs between them in this series. Umran was even dropped for the second T20I as India went with an extra spinner in Yuzvendra Chahal. In fact, Pandya has bowled more overs than each of them. Mavi is in the team because India need someone to bat at No. 8, while Arshdeep&rsquo;s numbers at death have been terrible of late. So, it will be interesting to see if Pandya gives them more overs in Ahmedabad or continues to get more overs from Deepak Hooda and himself.Glenn Phillips has been a consistent batter for New Zealand in this format but his record in India isn&rsquo;t great. The right-hander has only managed 67 runs in seven T20Is at an average of 11.17 and a strike rate of 97.1 and these are his worst numbers in any country. He has been dismissed four times by a spinner and averages just 6.75 against them in India.Pitch and conditionsThe Ahmedabad stadium hosted the entire five-match T20I series between India and England in 2021 and the batters here scored at an average of 32.1 and a scoring rate of 8.7, which tells you we will most likely get a good batting surface in the third T20I.&nbsp;The fast bowlers had slightly better numbers in that series - economy 8.4 and strike rate 21.9 - compared to spinners (8.8 and 26.1 respectively). Hence, India could leave out Chahal and bring in Umran. Even in IPL since 2021, this venue has served well to the batters.Tactical NousConsidering Kishan and Gill have been struggling for runs, it won&rsquo;t be a bad idea to drop one of them. If Gill goes out, India could bring in Prithvi Shaw, who has scored the most number of runs (570 @ 43.85 and a strike rate of 162.9) in the powerplay in IPL since 2021. But if Kishan goes out, India could slot in Tripathi right at the top and include Vidarbha&rsquo;s wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma in the middle order. While Tripathi has a strike rate of 141.9 in the first six overs in IPL, Jitesh operated at a strike rate of 148.51 and 202.44 in the middle and death overs last season. However, it&rsquo;s highly likely that India will go with the same set of batters.<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1675161179030-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Michael Bracewell has phenomenal numbers in the powerplay - nine wickets in 10 innings at a strike rate of 11.3 and an economy rate of 4.2. Amongst bowlers from the top-10 ranked teams who have bowled at least 10 overs in the powerplay since 2022, the offspinner has the best economy rate. Gill has a strike rate of 187.5 against offspinners in T20s since 2022 but he can keep Tripathi (105.7 - SR v off-spin since 2022) and Kishan (80.7) quiet.Probable XIsIndia - Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan (wk), Rahul Tripathi, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya (c), Deepak Hooda, Washington Sundar, Shivam Mavi, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal/Umran Malik, Arshdeep Singh.New Zealand - Finn Allen, Devon Conway (wk), Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Ish Sodhi, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Blair Tickner/Ben Lister.Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

This will be India’s last T20I for a while as the focus will shift completely to the other two formats

Ishan Kishan

Glenn Phillips

Michael Bracewell

Better conditions await in Ahmedabad before India go on T20I hiatus

India will take on New Zealand in the third and final T20I at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Wednesday (February 1). The Black Caps got the better of India in the first T20I but the home side somehow managed to level the series in Lucknow. The reason why we have used the term &lsquo;somehow&rsquo; is because it took India 19.5 overs to chase down a target of just 100. Indian skipper Hardik Pandya went on to describe the Lucknow pitch as a &quot;shocker&quot;. However, the conditions in Ahmedabad are expected to be a lot better.&nbsp;Ground details<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1675160701537-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">The Ahmedabad stadium hosted the entire five-match T20I series between India and England in 2021 and the batters here scored at an average of 32.1 and a scoring rate of 8.7, which tells you we will most likely get a good batting surface in the third T20I. The fast bowlers had slightly better numbers in that series - economy 8.4 and strike rate 21.9 - compared to spinners (8.8 and 26.1 respectively). Even in IPL since 2021, this venue has served well to the batters.Suggested teams<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1675160662125-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">While you could go for the above team, you can also choose your team from <a href="https://www.cricket.com/fantasy-research-center/219591/ind-vs-nz-3rd-t20i-new-zealand-tour-of-india-2023" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Cricket.com&rsquo;s Fantasy Research Centre</a>. You can use this tool to build your team with the help of algorithms. Then, based on your preferences, the platform will guide you through creating the ideal fantasy XI.Captaincy suggestionsFor small leagues: Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Devon Conway (vice-capt)For grand leagues: Hardik Pandya (capt), Mitchell Santner (vice-capt)Stats that matterIt was at this very venue where Suryakumar Yadav made his debut for India in 2021. The right-hander slammed 57 off 31 deliveries and hasn&rsquo;t looked back since then. 1651 runs at an average of 47.17 and a strike rate of 175.63, do we need to say more? He got 47 off 34 in the first T20I and then scored a man-of-the-match worth 26* to take India home in Lucknow.315 runs @ 39.38 and a strike rate of 141.9, Devon Conway has a pretty good record in India when it comes to T20s. The left-handed opener is good against pace and spin and could also fetch you points from behind the stumps.Glenn Phillips has been a consistent batter for New Zealand in this format but his record in India isn&rsquo;t great. The right-hander has only managed 67 runs in seven T20Is at an average of 11.17 and a strike rate of 97.1 and these are his worst numbers in any country. He has been dismissed four times by a spinner and averages just 6.75 against them in India.Grand league puntsHardik Pandya knows a thing or two about this stadium. It was at this very venue where Pandya led Gujarat Titans to an IPL title in their very first year. The all-rounder first took three wickets and then scored an unbeaten 34. He is a clutch player and averages 42 at a strike rate of 180.7 in deciders. Oh, he also has eight wickets at a strike rate of 21.Mitchell Santner loves bowling in India. The left-arm spinner has 17 wickets in this country at a strike rate of 17.2 and an economy rate of 6.2. On top of that, he is also a handy batter down the order.Probable XIsIndia - Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan (wk), Rahul Tripathi, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya (c), Deepak Hooda, Washington Sundar, Shivam Mavi, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal/Umran Malik, Arshdeep Singh.New Zealand - Finn Allen, Devon Conway (wk), Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Ish Sodhi, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Blair Tickner/Ben Lister.Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

Here are a few tips that could help you create your fantasy XI for the third T20I between India and New Zealand in Ahmedabad

Devon Conway

Mitchell Santner

Fantasy: Bank on SKY, Conway in better batting conditions

The curator of the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow has reportedly been sacked following the pitch debacle in the second T20I between India and New Zealand where the two sides, on an extremely slow and low wicket, amassed a total of 200 runs in 39.5 overs. The game was the first ever instance in a completed T20I in India in which there were no sixes hit.&nbsp;According to a PTI report, the curator that prepared the wicket for the second T20I has been fired and replaced by the experienced Sanjeev Kumar Agarwal.&quot;The curator has been removed and replaced by Sanjeev Kumar Agarwal who is a very experienced curator,&quot; a UPCA source was quoted as saying by PTI.&nbsp;&quot;We will turn things around in a month.&quot;A lot of domestic cricket was already played on all the centre wickets ahead of the T20I and the curator should have left one or two strips for an international game. The surface was overused and due to the bad weather, there was not enough (time) to prepare a fresh wicket.&quot;While there was excessive turn in the wicket, what majorly contributed to the dull nature of the contest was the slowness of the pitch. The first T20I in Ranchi also offered plenty of turn for the slower bowlers, but the bounce being true meant that the batters were able to cash in against the quicks; as a result, a total of 331 runs were scored in the first game.However, the Lucknow wicket being sticky, slow and two-paced meant that the batters had no way out. Such was the lop-sided nature of the wicket that Suryakumar Yadav was named Man of the Match for scoring 26 off 31 balls, his innings overseeing a solitary boundary.The wicket was called out in the aftermath of the contest by India skipper<a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/63751/hardik-pandya/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">&nbsp;Hardik Pandya,</a> who labeled the pitch a &lsquo;shocker&rsquo;.&ldquo;To be honest, it was a shocker of a wicket,&rdquo; Pandya said.&ldquo;I don&#39;t mind difficult wickets. I am all up for that, but these two wickets are not made for T20. Somewhere down the line the curators or the grounds that we are going to play in should make sure they prepare the pitches earlier.&rdquo;Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

The wicket was called out in the aftermath of the contest by India skipper Hardik Pandya, who labeled the pitch a ‘shocker’

Lucknow curator sacked following second T20I pitch debacle: Report

India&#39;s bowling coach Paras Mhambrey said the curator is the &quot;right person&quot; to talk about the surface that was on offer at the Ekana Stadium for the second T20I between India and England. The Black Caps could only manage 99/8 in their 20 overs and it took India 19.5 overs to hunt it down.The surface offered a lot of turn to spinners and not a single six was hit in the entire match. 30 of the 39.5 overs were bowled by spinners and the likes of Arshdeep Singh, Shivam Mavi, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson and Blair Tickner only bowled 5.5 overs between them. Indian skipper Hardik Pandya went on to <a href="https://www.cricket.com/news/it-was-a-shocker-of-a-wicket-pandya-on-lucknow-pitch-1675015184042" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">describe the Lucknow pitch as a &quot;shocker&quot;</a>.&ldquo;The curator is the right person to answer that question (on the pitch). But definitely, we knew it would be a big challenge and luckily we controlled the game. Anything in the range of 120-130 would have been really challenging. We did well to restrict them to 99 and it was an achievable target,&quot; Mhambrey said at the post-match press conference.India dropped Umran Malik for an extra spinner in Yuzvendra Chahal, who bowled only two overs despite taking one wicket for just four runs. Deepak Hooda and Kuldeep Yadav completed their full quota of overs, while Washington Sundar also chipped in with three overs.&nbsp;&ldquo;When we saw the wicket, we realised it was on the drier side. There was a little grass covering on the middle, but there was none on both ends. When we came yesterday, it looked like it would turn and we realised it would be challenging,&quot; said Mhambrey.Talking about Chahal&rsquo;s inclusion and him bowling both his overs in the powerplay, Mhambrey said: &ldquo;Chahal was included because we felt an additional spinner would help us. It really did as he bowled well for us.&quot;You take decisions on the basis of surface and instincts. Hardik possibly felt that a leg-spinner would help in that situation since a right-hander was batting and it was turning. Possibly that is why he bowled in the powerplay.&rdquo;Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

The surface offered a lot of turn to spinners, who bowled 30 of the 39.5 overs, and not a single six was hit in the second T20I

IND vs NZ T20 3rd T20I, New Zealand tour of India, 2023 - Commentary

IND VS NZ,3rd T20I

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