3rd T20I: KL Rahul, R Ashwin rested; New Zealand name new captain for Kolkata game

India, who won the toss and opted to bat first, will aim to script a clean sweep over the visitors having won the first two games - by five wickets in Jaipur and seven wickets in Ranchi.

Rohit Sharma-led Indian team has made only two changes for the third and final T20I of the series against New Zealand, who have rested Tim Southee for the game. India, who won the toss and opted to bat first, will aim to script a clean sweep over the visitors having won the first two games - by five wickets in Jaipur and seven wickets in Ranchi.

India's Ravichandran Ashwin, right, speaks with captain Rohit Sharma between overs during the second T20 cricket match between India and New Zealand, in Ranchi, India, Friday, Nov. 19, 2021.  (AP)

India rested opener KL Rahul and veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin for the third game, replacing them with Ishan Kishan and Yuzvendra Chahal. This will be Chahal's 50th T20I appearance and his first since July 25, earlier this year. He was dropped from India's T20 World Cup squad.

"Pitch looks a little sticky and we want to challenge ourselves as a batting unit. We gotta try various things and this is one of them. We want to put runs on the board and give the new set of bowlers a target to defend. KL and Ashwin are rested. Ishan and Chahal come in. We are very clear as to what we want to do that's why Ishan has to wait for his opportunity, Chahal as well, he has been a champion bowler for us," said Rohit after winning the toss.

New Zealand rested Southee for the impending two-Test series against India and named Mitchell Santner as the stand-in captain.

"Last few games it has been wet because of the dew. There has been dew throughout. Whatever we do we have to do it well. We have been close, lost a couple of phases especially in the last game during the middle with the bat, we got off to a great start.. But that's just the way. The Indian openers have come out and build partnerships. We are not far away and hopefully we can put up a complete game today. That's (Southee) the only change," he said.

New Zealand (Playing XI): Martin Guptill, Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Glenn Phillips, Tim Seifert(w), James Neesham, Mitchell Santner(c), Adam Milne, Lockie Ferguson, Ish Sodhi, Trent Boult

India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma(c), Ishan Kishan(w), Venkatesh Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Deepak Chahar, Harshal Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal