India will play five T20Is in New Zealand, along with five ODIs and two Tests in October-November this year. The five T20Is will be played on October 22, 24, 27, and 30 and November 1 in Christchurch, Wellington, Auckland, and Hamilton, respectively.
The BCCI selectors announced the squad for the upcoming New Zealand T20I series, with pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar earning a much-deserved recall to the Men in Blue side. There were not many surprises in the Indian squad, and today we see the 3 Indian batters to watch out for in the T20Is.
Here are the 3 Indian batters to watch out for in the NZ vs. IND T20I series:
3. Abhishek Sharma
Abhishek Sharma will be playing in New Zealand for the first time, and it will be interesting to see him bat in the swinging and seam conditions. He has struggled during the recent Ireland and England T20Is under similar conditions. Abhishek Sharma has been in top form with 509 runs in 17 T20Is, with one century and three fifties, with a strike rate of 210. His performance in New Zealand will be crucial given that the next T20 World Cup will be hosted in Australia and New Zealand in 2028.
2. Tilak Varma
Tilak Varma has been a revelation when it comes to batting when India is in trouble in T20Is. The India T20I vice-captain has finally realised that his best batting position is no. 5, where he can both stabilise the innings and also accelerate against the pacers. He gets stuck in the middle against spinners while batting up the order but reserves his best against fast bowlers. However, Varma’s performance in pace-friendly conditions will be under the microscope, given the 2028 T20 World Cup scenario.
1. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has not gotten the chances he deserves because of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma’s ongoing good run with the bat. However, if the Indian team management gives Vaibhav Sooryavanshi a run in the New Zealand T20Is, it will be very interesting to see how the 15-year-old reacts to the Kiwi pacers bowling in conditions they are used to. Fans want to see how challenging it is for him to score in his way in bouncy and seam-friendly conditions.
