India vs New Zealand 2017: 5 Indian players to watch out for

The Indian cricket team led by Virat Kohli has been on a rampage in the recent past across all the three formats. After having brushed Australia aside in the just-concluded ODI series, the hosts now await the arrival of New Zealand.

Considering the depth in the Indian team, they start as overwhelming favourites against New Zealand, a team which has been cooling its heels since the Champions Trophy and thus will be up against a team which has been motoring along for the past 15 months.

Here in this article, we take a look at five Indian players the Kiwis should watch out for in the upcoming series.

#5 Yuzvendra Chahal

Kohli's go-to man

The diminutive leg-spinner has become one of the go-to men for Virat Kohli in the short time he has been associated with the Indian team.

He has control during the middle overs, keeps things tight, and picks up wickets. Considering the struggles New Zealand had against Amit Mishra during their previous tour, Chahal can be more than a handful for them in the series.

Also, with Kuldeep for company, Chahal would want to cement his position in the side as a genuine match-winner for Kohli.

#4 Shardul Thakur

An opportunity to grab his chance

The Indian selectors and management have already made it clear that they are building a nucleus for the next World Cup and hence, the inclusion of Shardul Thakur in the squad makes sense.

He comes in at the expense of Umesh Yadav and Mohammad Shami and thus will be well aware of the short rope he might get if he does not clinch this opportunity. He had a decent outing in Sri Lanka where he gave glimpses of his abilities, but now has to rise to the occasion and deliver wickets for the team, especially with the new ball.

#3 Dinesh Karthik

He has to grab his chance

The comeback man in Indian cricket, Karthik has yet again got a chance to stake his claim in the team, and he could well be the answer to the vacant number 4 position in the batting line-up.

The Indian batting line-up is still juggling options for the number 4 slot, and after iffy performances from Manish Pandey, Karthik could well walk into that position.

He is in decent form, after having scored a century in the Duleep Trophy finals, and has been amongst the runs in the domestic setup which augurs well for his case.

#2 Shikhar Dhawan

Back after a break

The Delhi man was in sublime form in the limited overs format, before he took a break from the Australian series for personal reasons.

He is back in the mix and will walk out to face the new ball, but will be aware of the form Ajinkya Rahane displayed in the Australian series where he scored four consecutive half-centuries.

Dhawan looked neat in the T20 match and would want to carry his form into the upcoming series, which in many ways could establish him as India's primary opening batsman along with Rohit Sharma.

#1 MS Dhoni

Dhoni's role needs to be assigned

The man for all ages and seasons, MS Dhoni has been in good form in the recent past, but he will be well aware of the expectations on him every time he walks onto the field.

He has tweaked around his technique to adapt to the demands but this has not altered his rock-solid temperament and he remains the rock in the lower middle-order.

However, he is past his big-hitting prime and hence needs time to settle down before unleashing his strokes. Thus, his position in the batting lineup is crucial and the team management needs to assign a definite role to the former captain.