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A new-look Indian side under captain Rohit Sharma and coach Rahul Dravid will aim to kickstart their preparations for the next T20 World Cup with the India vs New Zealand series. A number of first-choice Indian players are taking a well-deserved break, and thus the depth of Indian cricket is on show. The Indian squad looks strong and will surely start as favorites in the T20I series.
Rohit Sharma has taken over the T20I captaincy from Virat Kohli following India's exit from the group stage of the recent T20 World Cup. Both Rohit and Dravid will need to define the role of every player in the side and this will be their biggest test leading into the next T20I World Cup.
Here we take a look at 3 India players who will hold the key in this India vs New Zealand series:
1.) Ishan Kishan
Ishan Kishan needs to find a spot in the playing XI and he needs a long rope in a specific role. With Virat Kohli missing, Kishan could slot into the number 3 position and his performances in the powerplay overs could define India's approach.
The Indian management has backed Ishan Kishan to play in the top order and under Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma, it will be interesting to see the role that the left-hander is given.
He goes after the bowlers from ball one, an approach that is needed to shake the monotony that has crept into India's T20I batting. On truer pitches in Australia, Ishan Kishan could be a key player for India in the next T20 World Cup.
2.) Deepak Chahar
With Bhuvneshwar Kumar not in the best of form, Deepak Chahar could be the perfect replacement. If we take a look at his IPL performances, Chahar has, more often than not, picked up wickets in the powerplay overs and his impact defines the course of the game.
Chahar always gets the ball to seam and swing and this series will be a test for him. The fast bowler has the ability to bolster the bowling department. Apart from this, Chahar can also wield the willow lower down the order and in the absence of Hardik Pandya, he can be the all-round option.
Rohit Sharma has also said that the team has certain holes to fill in this series and this is where it will be interesting to see the role defined for Deepak Chahar.
3.) Shreyas Iyer
Shreyas Iyer was unlucky not to have been part of India's playing XI in the T20 World Cup and this series is his chance to stake a claim for a permanent spot in the side. His ability to not only soak up pressure in the middle overs, but also to attack the spinners make him a great asset for the Indian side.
He will face competition from the likes of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Venkatesh Iyer, but the experience of Shreyas Iyer will give him the opportunity to make a spot in the middle order his own leading into the next T20 World Cup.
