ICC T20 World Cup, India vs NZ: Key players battles
Team India 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. Both India and New Zealand suffered respective defeats in their first encounter versus Pakistan. This is a big game and players from both sides will be wanting to step up. We decode the player battles.
Rohit Sharma vs Trent Boult
Rohit Sharma has a certain weakness against left-arm pacers and Trent Boult will aim to exploit the same. Rohit was dismissed for a first-ball duck against Pakistan by Shaheen Afridi. Boult will try to bowl full and straight with the ball swinging in. As per Cricketpedia, Boult has dismissed Rohit twice in T20Is, whereas, the latter has managed 15 from 11 balls.
Virat Kohli vs Ish Sodhi
Indian skipper Virat Kohli can be perturbed by spin and that's where Ish Sodhi will be in the game. The NZ spinner is a top performer in T20Is and has the attributes to test Kohli's mettle. In T20Is, the 32-year-old Kohli has managed to score 39 runs off 31 balls by right-arm spinner Sodhi, while the latter has dismissed him on two occasions.
Kane Williamson vs Jasprit Bumrah
NZ skipper Kane Williamson has bags of experience and the pedigree to come out on top versus Team India. His application against Jasprit Bumrah will be key. One expects a severe test between bat and ball between the two players. In T20Is, Williamson has managed to score 31 runs off 24 balls by Bumrah. Meanwhile, Bumrah has not been able to dismiss Williamson
Mohammed Shami vs Martin Guptill
Indian pacer Mohammed Shami faced unnecessary backlash for his performance against Pakistan. The senior cricketer is a champion bowler and comes from a good performance in the IPL. He will aim to test Kiwi opener Martin Guptill, who is one of the top run-scorers in T20Is. Guptill has managed to score 25 runs off 15 balls by Shami and hasn't been dismissed yet.
