After thrashing Australia 2-1 in the three-match ODI series, India will next lock horns with New Zealand in a five-match T20I series. The first T20I will be played on January 24 at the Eden Park in Auckland. Virat Kohli and Co have been on a roll in white-ball cricket and will eye to extend their dominance against the Kiwis as well. However, New Zealand have also emerged as a formidable limited-overs side in recent times and thus, defeating them at their fortress will certainly not be easy. With both the sides comprising of brilliant batsmen and bowlers, one can expect to witness a tight contest between the bat and the ball. Below, we’ll look at some of those. India vs New Zealand 2020 Schedule in IST, Free PDF Download.

Indian speedster Jasprit Bumrah wasn’t able to make a scintillating comeback in ODIs as he just managed to scalp one wicket from three matches against the Aussies and will eye to go back to his prime against the Kiwis. Other than him, the likes of KL Rahul and Shivam Dube also have a chance to cement their spot.

Speaking of the New Zealand team, Colin Munro and Martin Guptill will have the onus to give their side a good start while the veteran duo of Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor will look to collect runs in the middle overs. Meanwhile, let’s look at some mini battles which can enhance the thrill of India vs New Zealand T20I series.

Kane Williamson vs Kuldeep Yadav

The left-arm chinaman spinner enjoyed a great time during India’s 2019 visit to New Zealand as he scalped eight wickets in 4 ODIs, he played. Kuldeep also scalped Kiwi skipper Kane Williamson’s wicket in the opening ODI and will eye to pierce his defences few more times in the upcoming series. However, Williamson is known to be a great player of spin and will eye to dominate the spinner this time around.

Rohit Sharma vs Tim Southee

The Indian opener is going through a purple patch and will not want to end it anytime soon. In the 3rd ODI against the Aussies, Rohit also plundered a century and his great form is certainly not a great sign for the hosts. Tim Southee will spearhead the New Zealand bowling attack in the upcoming series and will be expected to get the rid of the Indian vice-captain early in the innings.

Martin Guptill  vs Jasprit Bumrah

Guptill has been one of the most prolific run-getters for the Kiwis and has also guided his team to many victories single-handedly. However, he will be challenged by the thunderbolts of Jasprit Bumrah and dominating the Indian speedster will certainly not be easy. Moreover, the conditions in New Zealand are known to favour the quick bowlers and it will be interesting to see, how these two will fare off.

With the ICC T20 World Cup 2020 being less than a year away, the upcoming series is a great chance for both the sides to test their strength and weakness in order to build a strong squad for the mega tournament. Moreover, the World Cup will be played on Australian soil where the conditions are quite similar to that of New Zealand. So, the Indian players will also look to assess the conditions well.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 21, 2020 02:04 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).