With the three-match series at 1-1, both the teams India and New Zealand will aim to outplay each other in the third and the decider T20 International at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on November 7. To clinch the series, India have to display a better show in both batting and bowling department while New Zealand might want to continue with the same momentum. But the spectators might not witness full 20-overs each side because the series decider here is under rain threat.
Before the decider, let’s have a look at some of the stats:
- New Zealand have never lost a T20I series against India
- In last 6 T20Is, New Zealand have won 4
- Martin Guptill (1855) needs 35 runs more to become the third highest run-scorer in T20I history. If he gets those runs in the 3rd T20I against India, he will then surpass Tillakaratne Dilshan (1,889) to be at Number 3.
- Rohit Sharma needs 23 runs to become the 2nd Indian to reach 1,500 T20I runs. Virat Kohli is the first Indian to reach the milestone. MS Dhoni (1281) is 219 runs behind from reaching this landmark.
- Virat Kohli needs 16 fours to become the number 1 cricketer with the most number of boundaries in T20Is. Sri Lanka’s Tillakaratne Dilshan is currently at No 1 with 223 fours.
- Martin Guptill (79) needs 5 more sixes to become the third cricketer with the most number of sixes. If he gets the desired number he will then surpass Australian cricketer Shane Watson who is currently at No 3 with 83 sixes.
- MS Dhoni needs 27 runs to surpass Suresh Raina (1,307) as the third highest run-scorer in T20Is for India. Virat Kohli (1943) is at number 1 and Rohit Sharma (1477) is at number 2.
- Tim Southee needs four wickets from reaching 50 wickets in T20Is. Nathan McCullum (58) is the only New Zealand bowler to have picked 50 or more wickets.
- Yuzvendra Chahal (14) needs 3 more wickets to become the highest wicket-taker this year in T20Is. Rashid Khan and Kesrick Williams lead the list with 17 wickets each.
Match Timings:
The third T20I between India and New Zealand will start at 7: PM IST. The toss would be he held at 6: 3o PM IST.
India vs New Zealand 3rd T20I (PIC BCCI)
Playing XI (Prediction):
Team India: Virat Kohli might go with one extra batsman. Mohammed Siraj, who made his debut on November 4 in T20Is, might be told to sit out. Kedhar Jadhav can find his place in Playing XI.
New Zealand: No change expected, Kane Williamson would like to go with the same winning squad.
Squads:
India: Virat Kohli (Captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Lokesh Rahul, Manish Pandey, Shreyas Iyer, Dinesh Karthik, MS Dhoni (WK), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.
New Zealand: Kane Williamson (c), Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Trent Boult, Tom Bruce, Colin de Grandhomme, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls, Adam Milne, Colin Munro, Glenn Phillips (wk).
