3rd T20I in Guwahati (Photo: PTI)
India vs New Zealand: The first two matches of the 5 T20 series have been played between India and New Zealand. India won both the matches played in Nagpur and Raipur and now the third T20 is to be played in Guwahati. If Team India wins this match, then it will win the series with an unassailable lead of 3-0. There are chances of change in the Indian playing eleven in the third T20. It is believed that two players including Harshit Rana may be out of the playing 11.
Rana may be out if Bumrah returns
Now the question is why will Harshit Rana be out of the playing eleven? Harshit Rana got a chance to play in the second match of the T20 series. Before that he had not played the first T20. He got Bumrah’s place in the team in the second T20. Captain Suryakumar Yadav had told that Bumrah has been given rest. But, Bumrah may be seen returning to the playing eleven in Guwahati and in that case Harshit Rana may be dropped from the playing eleven.
India’s T20 record in Guwahati
The reason for playing Bumrah in Guwahati could be India’s poor record there. India has played 4 T20s so far in Guwahati, in which it has won only one. He has lost in 2. While one match remained inconclusive. India and New Zealand will face each other for the first time in T20 in Guwahati.
Apart from Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav may also be out.
When Bumrah returns, there is definitely news of Harshit Rana being out of the playing eleven. Apart from that, it is believed that Akshar Patel can also recover from his injury and return in this match. If that happens then Kuldeep Yadav may have to be out of the playing eleven. However, till now no official information has come regarding Akshar’s recovery from his injury.
Harshit and Kuldeep did not do anything wrong. When given a chance in the second T20, Kuldeep took 2 wickets and Harshit took 1 wicket. But, if Bumrah and Akshar make a comeback, then both of them may have to make room. In the second T20, Harshit and Kuldeep also got a chance in place of Bumrah and Akshar.
This may be the playing 11 in the third T20
With these two changes, Team India may look something like this in Guwahati T20.
Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dubey, Akshar Patel/Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana/Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakraborty.