India T20 Series Against New Zealand & Sri Lanka – India’s recent T20I series against Sri Lanka and New Zealand was a great opportunity for some of the country’s young players to showcase their talent. With the senior white-ball players taking a break from T20Is in an ODI World Cup year, several up-and-coming players got a chance to shine under Hardik Pandya’s captaincy.
Despite the absence of their stars, India still dominated on home soil, beating both Sri Lanka and New Zealand 2-1. In this article, we’ll take a look at the major takeaways from these two T20I series.
Shubman Gill is the next star of Indian Cricket:
Shubman Gill has announced his arrival as an all-format batter by showing off his T20 skills. T20 was once considered to be Gill’s weakest format, and there were questions about his place as an opener, especially with explosive Prithvi Shaw waiting in the wings.
However, in the series decider against New Zealand in Ahmedabad, Gill proved that he can excel in the shortest format as well. He smashed seven sixes, with the highlight being a one-handed loft over long-off off Blair Tickner. With an unbeaten 126 off 63 balls, Gill has made a statement and increased the competition for places among India’s T20I openers.
Hardik Pandya’s new ball role was also a major takeaway from these T20I series. In the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik took the new ball in all six T20Is against Sri Lanka and New Zealand. In the third game against New Zealand, he showed great captaincy skills by staying away from fuller lengths on a “spicier” pitch in the evening, and ended up dismissing Finn Allen and Glenn Phillips with hard lengths.
With two T20I series wins this year and a Player of the Series award against New Zealand, Hardik has proven that he’s not just a stand-in captain, but a true leader.
India T20 Series Against New Zealand & Sri Lanka – India T20 Prediction and Review: Shubman Gill, The Star:
Rahul Tripathi also made an impact in the T20Is against New Zealand, scoring 44 off 22 balls in the third game. His early aggression gave Gill the freedom to pace his innings, and Tripathi’s fearless and selfless approach to hitting the ball over the top gave India a much-needed boost.
With a little more consistency, Tripathi could present a strong case to be a T20I regular, with or without the seniors.
Kuldeep Yadav may have edged ahead of Yuzvendra Chahal as India’s first-choice wrist-spinner. Kuldeep didn’t play in the T20Is against Sri Lanka, but he grabbed his chance against New Zealand, taking two wickets in nine overs with an economy rate of 5.44.
According to former India spinner and chief selector Sunil Joshi, Kuldeep would be his pick over Chahal in India’s squad for the upcoming ODI World Cup. The early signs are that Kuldeep is ahead of Chahal in the T20I pecking order as well.
Washington Sundar: The White-Ball Prodigy
Washington Sundar may have not been on many people’s radar at the start of this year, but after his recent performances in India’s T20I series against Sri Lanka and New Zealand, he is sure to be making waves.
With the absence of Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel, Sundar took his chance and shone with both bat and ball. According to ESPNcricinfo’s Smart Stats, he was the MVP of the series, with a total of 168 points.
In the first T20I in Ranchi, he bowled un-hittable lengths during the powerplay and then followed it up with a quick-fire 28-ball 50 from number 6. His captain, Hardik Pandya, was so impressed with his all-round display that he claimed that the match had quickly turned into “Washington vs New Zealand”.
Growing up in Chennai, Sundar was once tipped to become the city’s next big opener, like M Vijay or Abhinav Mukund. However, he has since taken a different route and is now working towards becoming a specialist finisher in T20 cricket.
India T20 Series Against New Zealand & Sri Lanka – India T20 Prediction and Review: Shubman Gill, The Star:
Ishan Kishan’s Flickering Flame:
Ishan Kishan was given a golden opportunity to prove himself as India’s first-choice T20I wicketkeeper in the absence of KL Rahul, Sanju Samson, and Rishabh Pant. He had made a strong impression in December with the fastest double-century in ODI cricket, but since then, his form has fizzled out.
In the T20I series against Sri Lanka and New Zealand, Kishan scored a total of 49 runs in four innings and didn’t have the impact that many had hoped for. He will need to rediscover his touch and rekindle his form if he hopes to maintain his place in the T20I side.
India’s recent T20I series against Sri Lanka and New Zealand showed that they are not lacking in young talent. Despite the absence of their senior white-ball players, the new faces stepped up to the plate and demonstrated their ability to excel in the shortest format of the game.
From Shubman Gill’s explosive innings, Hardik Pandya’s versatile skills, Kuldeep Yadav’s impressive performance, Washington Sundar’s all-round potential, and Ishan Kishan’s flicking flame, there is no shortage of players making their mark on the international stage.
With the ODI World Cup just around the corner, it will be exciting to see how these players continue to develop and make a name for themselves in the world of cricket.
