Excitement brewed in Raipur as India clinched the toss in the second T20I versus New Zealand, with Suryakumar Yadav choosing to chase under lights at Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Stadium. Aiming to erase the 48-run first-game drubbing, the hosts recalibrated their squad.
Two bold moves: Injury-hit Axar Patel and rested Bumrah out, Harshit Rana and Kuldeep Yadav in, blending youth with experience.
New Zealand hit refresh with three inclusions—Seifert, Matt Henry, Jack Foulkes—ousting Robinson, Jamieson, Clarke for renewed vigor.
SKY’s rationale: ‘Dew’s playing, chasing suits us now. All games build us better. Changes: Axar injured, Bumrah break.’
Santner: ‘Fielding first ideal. Gains from rivalry. Swaps: Seifert, Foulkes, Henry in.’
India squad: Sanju Samson†, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav*, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy.
NZ: Tim Seifert†, Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner*, Jack Foulkes, Ish Sodhi, Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy.
After ODIs slip, T20 redemption calls. Historic edge to India (13-10, 3 ties). Action shifts to Guwahati, Visakhapatnam, Thiruvananthapuram.