India vs New Zealand ODI Series: Players to Watch out for
After a convincing victory in the T20I series, the Kohli led Indian team will play a total of three ODIs against the Kiwis. The first match is set to kick off on Wednesday, 5th February 2020 at Seddon Park in Hamilton. Spirits in the Indian camp will be very high following a 5-0 clean sweep in the T20I series. New Zealand, on the other hand, will be very disappointed looking back at their performances in the T20I series, especially the last three matches. However, the only way is up from here for the Black Caps and they will be hoping to take out the positives and give this ‘Limited over dominant’ Indian team a run for their money. India will be looking to replicate their performance which helped them earn a 4-1 victory in the ODI series last time around. Both teams will be yet again heavily relying on their star players to get the job done for the team. Let's look at “FIVE PLAYERS TO WATCH OUT” for this upcoming ODI Series.
1. KL Rahul
What can this man not do? The story began with the Karnataka batsman being second choice, backup and not being able to get into the Indian team. The story now ends with KL Rahul being one of the most important players in the Indian Cricket Team today. From the opening, batting at 3, at 4, at 5, wicket keeping to captaining the side in the final T20 in R. Sharma’s absence; this player can do everything.
The injury to Dhawan has helped Rahul get into the form of his life and undoubtedly, it will be very difficult for Dhawan to now get back into the opening slot alongside R. Sharma. Rahul was the highest run-getter in the T20I series, scoring 224 runs in 5 innings with a very healthy average of 56 that helped him get the “Man of the Series” award and will be hoping to replicate his current form into the ODI series. In Fantasy terms,
Rahul looks like a must-have with his current form and the fact that he opens the innings.
2. V Kohli
Although it was a very convincing performance by the Indian team, it wasn’t the best of the T20I series for Kohli with the bat by his standards. The Indian skipper scored just 106 runs in his 4 innings with an average of just 26. On a personal level, he will be disappointed with the performances, however, it gives him an opportunity to come back even stronger in the ODI series.
Kohli has had an incredible record in ODIs since the last few years with the Delhi boy ranked number 1 in the ODI rankings. The 31-year-old will be hoping to continue the ODI form that helped him get the “Man of the Series” award against Australia in the ODI series.
With small grounds and batsman-friendly pitches on offer, it will be a shocker to see the Indian superstar fail yet again in New Zealand. Kohli, as proven in the past years, is a very safe pick in fantasy sports teams with his consistency and form in the ODI format.
3. K Williamson
Williamson was easily New Zealand’s Man of the Series with him yet again proving how crucial and how good a player he is to lead the Kiwi team. The skipper scored 160 runs in mere three matches at a great average of 53 which was the only bright spark in the Black Cap’s performance in the T20I matches. However, he would have to work on finishing matches with his team if New Zealand stands any chance of getting a positive result against the Indians.
The Men in Blue will also see Williamson as their biggest threat and it will undoubtedly be a challenge for Indian bowlers to keep the right-handed batsman silent as he happens to be a busy player and keep on adding the runs on the scoreboard. With similar consistency like Virat Kohli and playing in home conditions, Williamson should be one of the first picks from the Kiwis in fantasy teams.
4. S Dube
With H Pandya still injured, Dube gets yet another opportunity to showcase his talent in the ODI series. It wasn’t the best of outings for the Mumbai all-rounder in the T20I series, be it failing with the bat, scoring 41 runs in 5 matches or with the ball, giving away 34 runs in a single over in the last T20I. However, with ODI being a longer format, the 26-year-old will hope to come back strong both with the ball and bat.
Kohli will be hoping for the H. Pandya void to be filled with strong performances, be it as a fifth bowler of a batsman down the order to increase the pace of run flow. In fantasy terms as well, being an all-rounder, Dube could be a strong pick in teams, having opportunities to score points with the bat and ball.
5. J Neesham
One thing that New Zealand lacked in the T20I series was batting performances lower down the innings and finishing matches. Neesham fits the puzzle in this department. Not only does the 29-year-old provide an excellent option with the bat, but also has a knack of picking up wickets at crucial moments.
The last year has been a very successful one for the all-rounder, both with the bat and ball and with Grandhomme not particularly having good form, the Kiwis will be reliant on Neesham. In fantasy terms, Neesham looks the best all-rounder pick from both teams and provides an excellent captaincy option.
