The Indian cricket team has been on a rampage on this tour of New Zealand in the T20I series. They have already registered a win in the five-match series after beating the hosts in the first four games and are now eyeing a clean sweep in Mount Maunganui on Sunday.
The team has found new match-winners in Manish Pandey, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer and Shardul Thakur especially after the way the team fared in the last two games when they went into the Super Over. Here’s a look at the players who can take India over the line in the fifth and final T20I.
KL Rahul
KL Rahul has fit in every role that the team management has thrown towards him. Be it wicket-keeping, opening the innings or playing under pressure in the Super Over, the right-handed batsman has responded in the best possible way he could have.
Manish Pandey
Manish Pandey has become an integral part of the batting line up and bridged the gap that was left after MS Dhoni’s exclusion and Hardik Pandya’s injury. In the last match too, Pandey showed great character and struck a fine half-century.
Shreyas Iyer
India don’t really need to turn to anyone else when it comes down to batting at number four now. Shreyas Iyer has probably booked that spot for his name and has been performing well in the Indian jersey at that number.
Navdeep Saini
The young speedster has been a brilliant find for the team. He has pace and bowls good line and length.
Virat Kohli
The Indian skipper Virat Kohli is someone who leads the team by example. His fitness level is impeccable and that reflects in his fielding as well as batting. The kind of all-round show that Kohli put in the last match was something out of the box and if he replicates that on Sunday, he surely would be somebody to watch out for.
If India register a win in the final T20I, then they would complete a clean sweep win in the series.
