New Zealand hope to turn things around
- India have a new-look T20I side with quite a few big guns absent
- New Zealand will bank on their dynamic batting combination
India under Hardik Pandya are preparing for a new dawn in T20Is and with a fairly new setup and a rejigged squad, everything may not fall in place immediately. The bowling attack also appears short of firepower as they head into this game in Ranchi. India have odds of 1.39 to win the first T20I.
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New Zealand’s batters might have struggled through the ODI series, but in T20Is they pack quite a punch with a few very versatile middle order batters. The bowling lacks experience, especially in these conditions. New Zealand have odds of 2.92 to win this match.
India’s dominant record
India have won 22 of their last 31 T20Is at home since 2020 and are a different beast of a side in these conditions. Much of these will have little bearing, though, on Friday as they take New Zealand on in Ranchi with a new-look side.
Our pick: New Zealand have a formidable batting unit in this format and can run India close. Back New Zealand at 2.92 to win the match!
India could still be a force to reckon with batting wise but expect the bowlers to take some time to find their groove, especially with the pitch expected to aid stroke-making.
Keep an eye on…
Finn Allen is known for his quickfire starts with the bat in this format. After struggling to make an impact in the ODIs, he will be itching to make it count in the T20Is.
Kuldeep Yadav has been in really good form in the limited-overs format and has a point to prove ahead of the IPL in T20s. Expect him to have an impact in the middle overs.
