The first game of the three-match T20I series between West Indies and India at Florida on Saturday ended with the Men in Blue emerging victorious. Virat Kohli's men were on the mark with the ball, as they restricted the rivals to only 95 runs, but made a heavy meal of the chase, as they lost regular wickets before finally scaling the target. The track was sluggish, with nothing on offer for the big-hitters, and with the same track expected to be used for the second game, yet another low-scoring match is be on the cards. A target of 130 should be competitive, and the team that wins the toss should opt to bat first, as run scoring will get tougher as the innings progresses. Both teams are unlikely to go in unchanged.
Player Recommendations:
Wicket-keeper: Rishabh Pant (8.5 credits)
Pant is one of the most talented players in cricket currently, but is prone to hitting rash shots that often spell doom. He was out playing an irresponsible shot in the first T20I as well, getting out for a golden duck. However, a career strike-rate of 161.48 with an average of 33.88 in 83 T20s show his potential, and he will be eager to grasp on to his chances.
Batsman: Rohit Sharma (11 credits)
Rohit is in the form of his life, and had a stellar World Cup as well, where he finished as the leading run-scorer. He has 4 T20Is to his name as well, which shows his
The first game of the three-match T20I series between West Indies and India at Florida on Saturday ended with the Men in Blue emerging victorious. Virat Kohli's men were on the mark with the ball, as they restricted the rivals to only 95 runs, but made a heavy meal of the chase, as they lost regular wickets before finally scaling the target. The track was sluggish, with nothing on offer for the big-hitters, and with the same track expected to be used for the second game, yet another low-scoring match is be on the cards. A target of 130 should be competitive, and the team that wins the toss should opt to bat first, as run scoring will get tougher as the innings progresses. Both teams are unlikely to go in unchanged.
Player Recommendations:
Wicket-keeper: Rishabh Pant (8.5 credits)
Pant is one of the most talented players in cricket currently, but is prone to hitting rash shots that often spell doom. He was out playing an irresponsible shot in the first T20I as well, getting out for a golden duck. However, a career strike-rate of 161.48 with an average of 33.88 in 83 T20s show his potential, and he will be eager to grasp on to his chances.
Batsman: Rohit Sharma (11 credits)
Rohit is in the form of his life, and had a stellar World Cup as well, where he finished as the leading run-scorer. He has 4 T20Is to his name as well, which shows his match-winning skills. On a tough track, a lot will be expected from Rohit, especially as his opening partner Shikhar Dhawan is coming off a long injury lay-off and can be rusty.
All-rounder: Krunal Pandya (8.5 credits)
Pandya has fared well in both departments in the limited chances that have been given to him in the format for India. He was on fire in the first game as well, conceding only 20 with the ball in 4 overs whilst picking up a wicket, along with getting a crucial 14-ball 12 after wickets had fallen in a flurry. He can play a few shots with the bat as well in the death, which makes him a must-have.
Bowler: Sunil Narine (9 credits)
The spinner has shown off his skills in the IPL, and was at it again, as he picked up 2 wickets in his 4 overs, whilst conceding only 14 runs in the first game. His variations and his googlies are tough to read, and if he is not among the wickets, he is capable of getting a few fantasy points by scoring runs with the bat. He opens the innings for KKR, and has played some quickfire knocks, and can be used up the order for Windies as well.
Captain: Rohit Sharma
Vice-captain: Krunal Pandya
Predicted Playing XI:
West Indies: John Campbell, Evin Lewis, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Kieron Pollard, Rovman Powell, Carlos Brathwaite (c), Sunil Narine, Keemo Paul, Sheldon Cottrell, Oshane Thomas
India: Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli (c), Manish Pandey, Rishabh Pant (wk), Krunal Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Washington Sundar, Navdeep Saini, K Khaleel Ahmed
