FANTASY
Follow UsIndia have been a formidable team at home. Despite a loss in the first T20I, one can expect a comeback from them. They have managed to achieve that as well. In the five-match T20I series against South Africa, a young side had lost the first two matches and managed to bounce back in the next two.
It won’t be that easy though. The Indians will be up against a confident and a performing New Zealand team. Led by their skipper Mitchell Santner, New Zealand had different contributors in the first T20I, unlike India.
Ground details
In T20Is, five matches have been played at the Ekana Stadium. In all those five encounters, teams batting first have won the game. India have played two matches at this venue and in both the matches, they scored in excess of 190 (199/2 vs SL in 2022 and 195/2 vs WI in 2018).
The pacers have had the upper hand at this venue. They have bagged 78.7 percent of the wickets at a better strike rate. They have bagged a wicket every 16.3 balls as compared to 32.3 by spinners.
In the five T20Is, teams have scored at a run rate of 7.3. However, in all T20s since 2022, in the 15 matches played, the run rate has been 6.8. On an average, teams have scored 133 runs in the first innings.
Suggested Team
While you could go for the above team, you can also choose your team from Cricket.com’s Fantasy Research Centre. 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 suggestions
For small leagues: Devon Conway (capt), Suryakumar Yadav (vice-capt)
For grand leagues: Mitchell Santner (capt), Washington Sundar (vice-capt)
Stats that matter
-In T20Is, Devon Conway has an average of 58.5 and strikes at 144.4 against off spinners. The perfect batter against Washington Sundar who likes to bowl in the powerplay.
-In T20Is since Finn Allen’s debut, among top 10-ranked teams batter who have faced 100+ balls in the powerplay, no batter has a better strike rate than Allen (159.1). In the first T20I as well, Allen provided a stupendous start for New Zealand
-India’s top three in six matches post WC, have averaged 20.2. If we take out that one century from Surya, the average drops even lower. Surya in three innings as a top order batter (1-3) averages 65 and strikes at 184.5. But, the remaining batters, average 14.1 in 15 innings at a strike rate of 119.1.
Grand league punts
-Santner was in a league of his own in the first T20I. None of the Indian batters, including Surya, struggled to pick him up. In fact, he was the first bowler to bowl a maiden against Surya in T20Is. He loves bowling in India, he has picked up a wicket every 15.5 balls, which is the fourth best among bowlers who have bowled in 10+ innings in India.
-Sundar was the biggest positive for India from the first T20I. He came good with the ball as well as the bat. Out of the 28 wickets he has picked up, 15 have come in the first six overs and 13 in the middle overs. The other good thing about his bowling, against both right-handers and left-handers, is that he has a good record. He has bagged a wicket every 23 balls against lefties and 23.7 against right-handers.
Here are the top 10 criclytics projection
Probable XI
India: Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan (wk), Rahul Tripathi, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya (c), Deepak Hooda, Washington Sundar, Shivam Mavi, Kuldeep Yadav, Umran Malik, Arshdeep Singh
New Zealand: Finn Allen, Devon Conway (wk), Mark Chapman, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson, Jacob Duffy, Blair Tickner
