The IND vs NZ 2nd T20I takes place at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur.
After thrashing New Zealand in Nagpur’s Vadodhra Cricket Association (VCA) Stadium, India is set to step back in action, now aiming to go 2-0 up in the series.
The Men in Blue recently visited this venue for a One Day International (ODI) clash with South Africa, in which they lost by 4 wickets. Virat Kohli scored a ton that went in vain, but now it is time for the youngsters to take up responsibility in T20Is.
India Would Look To Ride The Abhishek Sharma Wave
Abhishek Sharma, India’s opening batsman, has been in blistering form for a couple of years now, and has emerged as perhaps the most dangerous player in the T20 format.
His 35-ball 84 in the first India vs New Zealand fixture of the T20I series set the tone. Complementary innings from Hardik Pandya and especially Rinku Singh in the death overs powered India to post a 239-run target.
The Blackcaps, led by Mitchell Santner, were rocked early by Arshdeep Singh and Pandya, and while Glenn Phillips, along with Daryl Mitchell brewed a bit of hope, the total ultimately proved too much for them.
India’s Record At Raipur
India have played only one T20I at Raipur’s Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium ahead of the IND vs NZ 2nd T20I.
This was against Australia back in 2023, and the Men in Blue won by 20 runs in it.
Apart from that, India have played two ODIs here, in which they lost one to South Africa, as mentioned earlier, but won their first-ever 50-over match in Raipur, interestingly, against New Zealand by 8 wickets.
As for the pitch report, the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium generally offers a balanced surface, with a bit of assistance for bowlers.
