Rampaging India look to seal T20I series against Kiwis

Rajkot [India], November 4 (ANI): Having snapped the Twenty20 international jinx against New Zealand with the opening match win in New Delhi, India will now aim to capitalise on the same and seal the three-match series when the two sides head into the second T20I here at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot.

Earlier, India gave a befitting farewell to retired veteran pacer Ashish Nehra as they clinched a comprehensive 53-run win over New Zealand in the first T20I to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium.

The Virat Kohli-led side will once again heavily rely on the openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan, who both smashed half-centuries to set the tone with a record158-run opening partnership to guide hosts to the score of 202-3.

Meanwhile, the focus will also be on the depth and variety of the Indian bowlers.

New Zealand, on the other hand, look for a better outing this time and will take the cue from the fact that their head-to-head record against the hosts still reads 5-1.

The two squads are as follows:

India: Virat Kohli (Captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Lokesh Rahul, Manish Pandey, Shreyas Iyer, Dinesh Karthik, MS Dhoni (WK), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Ashish Nehra (only for first T20I).

New Zealand : Kane Williamson (c), Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Trent Boult, Tom Bruce, Colin de Grandhomme, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls, Adam Milne, Colin Munro, Glenn Phillips (wk).(ANI)