T20 World Cup, India vs NZ: Preview, stats, and more
The Indian cricket team takes on New Zealand in the 16th Super 12 match of the 2021 T20 World Cup on Sunday. The match is set to be held in Dubai. India got off to a poor start, being beaten by Pakistan (10 wickets) in Group 2. New Zealand too suffered a defeat against Pakistan. This becomes a massive encounter for the two sides.
Here is the head-to-head record
The two teams have met each other on 16 occasions in T20Is. Both teams have won eight matches each. Notably, two games were tied before India won the one-over eliminator. New Zealand have a 100% record versus India in the ICC T20 World Cup. They beat India in both the occasions (2007 and 2016).
Key details about the match
The match will be held at the Dubai International Stadium (7:30 PM IST). The pitch is well balanced and promises aplenty. Batters need to be calm and play as per their strengths. In the four Super 12 matches held here so far, teams chasing have won. One can watch the match live on the Star Sports Network and stream the same on Disney+ Hotstar.
India will need to show their pedigree
Team India has plenty of resources to win the tie versus New Zealand. After a disappointing show against Pakistan, India will need to turn things around across all departments. India could alter the playing XI and bring in Shardul Thakur. With the bat, India's top-order holds the key. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami can be immense with the ball.
New Zealand will hope to bounce back
The Kiwis will want to bounce back after their opening loss against Pakistan. New Zealand have to show the strength and flex their muscles against a quality Indian unit. NZ have enough pedigree and character to win and that's what fans will want to see. There is a lot riding on Kane Williamson. With the ball, spinner Ish Sodhi has been terrific.
Here are the top performers
Tim Southee will have an important job in the powerplay overs. He has claimed 100 T20I wickets. Trent Boult can be highly effective. He can get to 50 T20I scalps (47). With the bat, Martin Guptill (2,956) can get to 3,000 T20I runs. For India, Virat Kohli (3,216 runs) can be the game changer. Bumrah (59 wickets) can contribute significantly.
A look at the probable XI of both teams
India probable XI: KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Hardik Pandya, Shardul Thakur, Varun Chakravarthy, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah New Zealand probable XI: Martin Guptill, Tim Seifert (wk), Kane Williamson (c), Devon Conway, Glenn Phillips, Jimmy Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Lockie Ferguson, Ish Sodhi, Trent Boult, Daryl Mitchell
