Virat Kohli and Co. last played against New Zealand in the semi-finals of the World Cup 2019. We all know the result of that match which had ended the dream of India. Now, after six months, India and Kiwis will be in front of each other but this time on the Black Caps’ shores.
Notably, New Zealand series will be the first away tour of 2020 for India. In the month-long tour, the two teams will play five-match T20I series, three-match T20I series, and two-match Test series.
The squad announced by India saw the all-rounder Hardik Pandya’s name has gone missing, also, the pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar is not in the team as he recovering from a sports hernia. But India will be confident enough to face the opposition after having a decent home season.
Overall, the Blackcaps has always been a tough competitor for India.
Here we will discuss those five players who could be a threat for Team India:
Martin Guptill:
The right-hand batsman Martin Guptill has given tremendous start to his team in shorter formats. The limited-overs opener has brilliantly played in the domestic game- Super Smash 2019-20 for Auckland. In the final match against Wellington, the Auckland star scored 60 runs, however, his team lost the match by 22 runs.
The explosive batsman Guptill has the ability to take out his team from any trouble whatsoever. The World Cup is evidence of his ability though he could not contribute much with the bat in major fixtures. Albeit nobody could forget the run out of MS Dhoni which led to India’s ouster from the mega tournament in England.
Meanwhile, having an amazing domestic game, he would be confident to face India. The Indian bowlers will have to be careful against Guptill’s aggressive nature.