India-New Zealand combined T20 XI

India start off their ICC World T20 campaign against New Zealand on Tuesday. The hosts are in great form going into the tournament and are being considered to be firm favourites. New Zealand, on the other hand, though perhaps lacking in experience, are a very strong side because of the sheer number of big-hitters in their ranks.The match, therefore, sets up the prospect of a mouth-watering clash and whichever team emerges victorious, it will be a huge confidence boost for them. With great players on either side, let us see what the India-New Zealand combined T20 XI might look like.

#1 Rohit Sharma

Over the last few years, Rohit Sharma has turned into one of the finest and most consistent openers in limited overs cricket. The man who can play the anchor role as well as provide fast starts if need be has proved to be a big game player for India.

He can unleash a wide range of strokes on the opposition and can bat with devastating prowess when on song. One of the four Indians to have scored over 1000 runs in T20Is, Sharma's consistency and high strike-rate makes him an important player for India. He might be one of the players of the tournament in the World T20 this year.

#2 Martin Guptill

Having smashed a record-breaking 237 against the West Indies in the World Cup last year, Martin Guptill showed his brilliance and killer instinct. And much later last year, he followed it up with a devastating knock of 93 off 30 balls against Sri Lanka.

With awesome power and clean-hitting ability, Guptill has turned into one of the most formidable and dangerous batsmen in the shortest version of the game. He has scored over 1500 runs at an average of 34.70 and strike-rate of 129.64 in T20Is. He will go down in history as one of New Zealand's finest ever openers.

#3 Virat Kohli

One of the most in-form batsmen who is being touted by pundits as the player to watch out for in the tournament, Virat Kohli will be the automatic choice at number 3. The batsman who many believe has taken on the mantle from the legendary Sachin Tendulkar will be dying to put the ghosts of the World Cup 2015 to rest in this tournament.

Kohli combines great batting finesse with an intelligent cricketing brain. He has a good ability to soak in pressure and dictate the course of the game with calculated aggression. One of the best top order batsmen in the world right now, Kohli will be calling the shots for India in the tournament.

#4 Kane Williamson

One of the best players last year, the Kiwi skipper Kane Williamson has been in the form of his life. In 2015, he scored an incredible 2633 international runs at an average of 65.82 across all formats of the game. That year saw Williamson slam 8 centuries and 13 half-centuries.

Now with Brendon McCullum having called it a day, Williamson who is New Zealand's best batsman at the moment also shoulders the responsibility of leading his team to glory. His calmness coupled with his devastating hitting prowess makes him a dangerous batsman. Williamson might end up as one of the players of the tournament.

#5 Yuvraj Singh

Man of the tournament in the 2011 World Cup because of his superb all-round performances, Yuvraj Singh's career went a downhill from there ever since he was diagnosed with cancer. After a lengthy spell of having been left out, Yuvraj has now come back as a better and more confident individual.

He has shown in some of the recent performances that he has not lost any of his big-hitting abilities. And his ability to put in a few overs with the ball and even take wickets is an added bonus. Yuvraj Singh is a match-winner and a great jewel to have in the team in T20 cricket. He makes it to the team as a batting all-rounder.

#6 Colin Munro

One of the players who could take the World T20 by storm is Colin Munro. Munro is a devastating lower-middle order batsman who can score at a brisk rate. In the warm-up match at Wankede, he smashed 67 off 34 runs to take the Kiwis to a comfortable 74-run victory.

Last year, he had famously scored the fastest T20 half-century in world cricket bringing up his 50 off just 14 balls against Sri Lanka. He has also been used as a floater by the Kiwis which makes him a dangerous player to have in the team. He is also a proven finisher when he comes in during the dying stages.

#7 MS Dhoni

Amidst increasing clamours for retirement from some quarters, MS Dhoni has quietly gone about his job calmly and masterfully. In the last few games, he has shown that he has not lost his clinical prowess to clear the boundaries or to finish matches brilliantly.

Many believe that this might just be Dhoni's last ICC event. Dhoni has won everything for India as a captain and it would be nice for him to end with the trophy that first began his rise as a captain. If that is the case, he would love to finish on a high. Life will then seem to have come a full circle for him.

#8 Corey Anderson

New Zealand is being considered to be a dangerous outfit because they have no dearth of big-hitters like Colin Munro and Corey Anderson in their ranks. A great finisher who can hit the ball a mile, Anderson coming in the lower order will definitely give the team a much-needed boost.

With a strike-rate of 144.93 in T20Is, Anderson's brutal hitting in the death overs is of course well known. He comes into the team as an all-rounder and will be the third seamer in the side. His left arm medium pace and big-hitting prowess makes him a valuable addition to the team.

#9 Ravichandran Ashwin

One of the cricketers responsible for India's immense success over the last few years is Ravichandran Ashwin. After Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh, Ashwin has single-handedly taken on the mantle of leading the spin attack for India.

Because of his varieties and ability to pick wickets, batsmen nowadays generally look to play him out more often than score runs off him. Ashwin's four overs will be of immense importance and Dhoni uses him in different ways depending on the situations of the match. Ashwin will also set up some fascinating battles and it would be interesting to see what strategies batsmen come up with to counter him.

#10 Tim Southee

One of the most experienced bowlers in the world now, Tim Southee has led the New Zealand pace bowling attack for a long time now. With 135 ODI wickets and 46 T20I wickets in his kitty, Southee's statistics speak for himself.

He can swing the ball in the early overs and execute perfect yorkers at the death. His devastating bowling spell of 7 for 33 against England in the 2015 World Cup is of course well-remembered by many. Southee will be a valuable member of the team and the Kiwis will be banking on his ability and experience in the World T20.

#11 Jasprit Bumrah

India's newfound bowling sensation, Jasprit Bumrah has turned into one of the best specialist bowlers in death overs. The fact that India are already relying so heavily on him is a big statement on his abilities. Bumrah has truly resuscitated the Indian bowling attack.

He swings the ball in the initial overs and bowls at a good pace. He can then come back in the dying stages to execute those perfect yorkers. His slingy action, pace and swing makes him a complete package. The added bonus is his ability to pick wickets. Within a short span of time, Bumrah has now become MS Dhoni's go-to man.