New Zealand vs India 2020 | 4 players to watch out for in the series

Fire vs Ice. Animated vs Calm. Virat Kohli vs Kane Williamson is a long awaited battle. Two captains, two leaders, who love leading their country by example is what makes this series a must watch for all cricket fans across the globe.

Now that India have clinched the ODI series against Australia, their focus now shifts towards conquering the Black Caps. India are touring New Zealand for a 5 T20, 3 ODIs, and 2 Tests. It will not be easy task for India as the Kiwis are a formidable side at home. Led by Williamson, this team has come a long way and can pose a strong challenge. India on the other hand led by Kohli, consider winning overseas tours their main motto. They have been riding high with overseas wins in Australia. They however suffered a heartbreak in the 2019 World Cup semifinal at the hands of the Kiwis. They would surely want that to be avenged at any costs. The Men-in-Blue are in good form with the likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah performing well.

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This bilateral series surely promises the fans a mouth-watering feast. So what's in store? In this article we are going to present you 4 players, whom we think can be stand-out performers for their team.

Kane Williamson

The Kiwi skipper will be itching to score big time. He has been in and out of the squad due to a hip injury. He was also on the sidelines during the T20 assignment against England. Williamson is the perfect blend of calmness and aggression. He can tear apart any bowling line-up on his day, as well as play the second fiddle. With conditions aiding his batting nature, it will be an uphill task for the Indian bowlers to keep this man silent.

Martin Guptill

At the very thought of a beautiful loft over long-on and long-off, Martin Guptill's name strikes us. An under-rated right-handed batsman from Auckland, Guptill has the ability to perform exceedingly well when conditions suit him. A hard attacking batsman at the top, Guptill knows the conditions quite well. The small boundaries will also aide his case, the Indian bowlers will be vary of his power hitting ability. He is also an excellent fielder. Who can forget MS Dhoni's run out by his direct hit in the WC 2019 semi-final? Guptill also plays a lot of franchise T20 cricket around the world, and he has the experience which the Kiwis would want. His figures also represent the same, 83 matches, 2436 runs with a highest score of 105.

He also has a point to prove after being snubbed from the IPL 2020 auctions in Kolkata in December last year. Watch out Indian bowlers, if you don't get him early, Guptill can hurt you quite badly.

KL Rahul

Talk about adapting to the situation and KL Rahul is the Indian team's go-to guy. The Indian management has asked him to play at various positions, as an opener, as a finisher, bat as a middle-order batsman, top-order batsman, and Rahul has aced almost everything without a fuss. He is also India's current wicketkeeper, how's that for being adaptive?

The Mangalore lad brings in the balance the team requires and allows India to play an extra batsman or a bowler. Not to forget he is an outstanding fielder also. Virat Kohli mentions " It's just that he's come into that slot and has done well. We'll have to persist with that a little bit and see where that takes us and not necessarily be confused about the other options that we have. I think a lack of clarity in terms of positions in the past has really hurt us."

The Karnataka batsman has been in scintillating form this season and can change the course a match in a short span of time. It will be interesting to see whether the Indian management continues with him as a keeper or opt for Rishabh Pant.

Jasprit Bumrah

Jasprit Bumrah excels under pressure, and this series will definitely test his death bowling skills. With the kind of batting quality the opponent posses, it will be an uphill task for Bumrah to nail those pin-point yorkers.

A stress fracture on his lower back ruled out Bumrah in September, when India hosted South Africa for three T20Is and as many Tests. Subsequently, the Gujarat born fast bowler has been recuperating to be available for selection as soon as possible. He made his internationa lcomeback in the recently concluded series against Australia.

It is the dream of every cricketer to perform overseas, Bumrah is no such exception. He has risen above all challenges and ended up on the winning side. Indian team would want their bowling spearhead, Bumrah, to perform if they want to entertain any chances of winning the series. All 3 of them. Let's see how this challenge goes about.