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Cricket PlayersIND vs NZ, 1st T20I: Rohit announces India's Playing XI, Venkatesh Iyer makes debut; Siraj returns but Chahal misses out
IND vs NZ 1st T20I: After winning the toss in Jaipur, Rohit Sharma elected to bowl against New Zealand. At the toss, he revealed that the side have handed promising youngster Venkatesh Iyer his T20I debut.
Rohit Sharma, in his first game as India's permanent T20I captain, won the toss and elected to bowl first in the first T20I against New Zealand in Jaipur. While speaking to the broadcasters at the toss, Rohit Sharma revealed Team India's Playing XI for the first T20I and disclosed that youngster Venkatesh Iyer is making his T20I debut.
He also added that the side are playing three seamers, two spinners, six batters, and one all-rounder in Venkatesh Iyer. The swashbuckling left-hander left everyone amazed in the UAE leg of IPL 2021, as he smashed 370 runs in just 10 matches while turning up for runners-up Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). He struck the ball at a rate of 128.47 and hit four half-centuries.
LIVE BLOG, 1st T20I | India vs New Zealand Live Cricket Score
Furthermore, pacers Mohammed Siraj, Deepak Chahar, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar are back in the fold. None of them featured in India's last T20I game. In the middle order, Shreyas Iyer is back after an impressive IPL 2021 phase 2.
Meanwhile, the ‘Men in Blue’ would be eager to settle the score against the Kiwis following their T20 World Cup 2021 encounter. In Dubai, on October 21, the-then Virat Kohli-led side was handed an eight-wicket defeat.
In other news, Yuzvendra Chahal is still missing from the XI as the side have gone with Axar Patel and R Ashwin. No Ishan Kishan for the opener either.
Meanwhil, Rohit and Co. would also look to build on their impressive bilateral series record. The last time these sides met against one another, India blanked NZ 5-0 on their home turf.
Overall, the two giants have met each other 17 times T20I, and New Zealand marginally lead the battle currently with 9 wins as opposed to India's 8.
Meanwhile, India go into this contest on the back of a three-match winning spree. After losing their first two matches of the T20 WC to Pakistan and New Zealand, respectively, the side defeat Afghanistan, Scotland, and Namibia to end their campaign on a bit of a high note.
For New Zealand, it will be about putting their loss to Australia in the final behind them. Before losing the summit clash in Dubai last Sunday, they'd won five on the trot.
India Playing XI: Rohit Sharma(c), KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant(w), Venkatesh Iyer, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Deepak Chahar, Mohammed Siraj
