TV
After having a dream run in the ongoing ICC ODI World Cup 2023, Team India will lock horns against formidable New Zealand in Dharamsala on Sunday. New Zealand are also yet to be beaten in the tournament and they are currently the table-toppers. Off late, the Kiwis have turned out to be the most familiar rivals of the Men in Blue. The Black Caps had knocked India out of the World Cup in the previous edition.
However, India have been grappling with injury worries for the all-important match. Star all-rounder Hardik Pandya has been ruled out of the match.
In Pandya’s absence, the team management might opt for a specialist batter for the finishing purpose and give senior pacer Mohammed Shami a chance. Explosive batsman Suryakumar Yadav seems to be the right fit. India’s Mr 360 degree batsman’s unorthodox approach will give him an advantage in the shorter boundaries in Dharamsala. However, SKY (as Suryakumar is popularly known) has some injury concerns as he has been hit at nets.
Aggressive southpaw Ishan Kishan, who seems the other option, was also stung by a bee during the same session. If this is the case, the onus will be on Shardul Thakur to fill the big boots of Pandya. Moreover, in Pandya’s absence and the match being played on a track known for assisting pacers, Shami with a bulk load of experience seems to make it to the playing XI.
Predicted XI: Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul(wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami.
