Top 5 players in the India vs New Zealand T20I series

In the recently concluded three match T20I series between India and New Zealand, the home team defeated the visitors 2-1 and registered their first ever T20I series win against the Kiwis.

The result of the series came down to the last match, just like the ODI series before it, and it was once again all about the nerves in the rain-affected final match. There were many commendable performances in the series, both with the bat and the ball.

Here we will look at five players who stood apart from the rest in the series.

5. Virat Kohli

The “Run Machine” continued his great form in the T20I series as well. In three matches, he scored a total of 104 runs at an average of 52, including one half-century, and ended up as the second highest run scorer of the series.

In the first match played at his home ground Feroz Shah Kotla, he remained not out on 26, with three sixes in it. Kohli batted brilliantly in the second T20I at Rajkot, in which he scored 65 runs in 42 balls at a strike rate of 154.76. He was the only Indian batsman who looked comfortable against the Kiwi bowlers, but unfortunately failed to take his team home.

In the rain affected Trivandrum T20I, with one 4 and one 6, he could manage to score 13 runs in just 6 balls, before he lost his wicket to Ish Sodhi. Kohli is currently the number 1 batsman in the ICC T20I rankings, and is far ahead of all the others in the standings.

4.Trent Boult

The left-arm pace bowler troubled the Indian batsmen with his attacking bowling in the series. In the first match played at New Delhi, Boult was a bit expensive, where he gave away 49 runs in four overs at an economy rate of 12.25 runs per over and took just one wicket. But he bounced back in the Rajkot T20I, and registered his career best figures of 4 for 34 in four overs.

He dismissed both the Indian openers, Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan, in the same over and made it difficult for the hosts to chase the target.

In the 8-over decider played at Trivandrum, Boult’s tight line and lengths did not allow the Indian batsmen to play shots freely, which resulted in him giving away just 13 runs in two overs and took one wicket as well. Boult ended up as the leading wicket taker of the series, with 6 wickets in his account.

3. Colin Munro

The 30-year old Kiwi opener was magnificent in the T20I series. With his aggressive batting, in three matches, he scored 123 runs at an average of 61.5, and became the leading run scorer of the series.

Munro failed to score runs in the first T20I, where he scored only 7 runs, before he lost his wicket to Bhuvneshwar Kumar. But in the Rajkot T20I, he was at his best.

At a strike rate of 187.93, he scored a spectacular 109* runs, including seven 4s and seven 6s in it.

For this match-winning performance, he was given the Man of the Match award. Although, he could not contribute much to his team in the final T20I at Trivandrum, but his innings at Rajkot stood out as the best in the entire series.

2. Ish Sodhi

The right-arm leg break bowler bowled magnificently in the series. In the first T20I, where every Kiwi bowler struggled against the Indian batting and went for runs, Sodhi troubled the opponents with his smart bowling, and finished his 4-over spell with 2 wickets for 25 runs at an economy rate of 6.25 runs per over.

The Indian batsmen looked a bit uncomfortable against him in the Rajkot T20I as well. In his four overs, he gave 25 runs and took 1 wicket and made it quite difficult for the hosts to win the match.

In the Trivandrum T20I, Sodhi went for a few runs, but took two important wickets in the likes of Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer and ended up as the second highest wicket taker of the series.

1. Jasprit Bumrah

The death over specialist of the Indian bowling attack had a brilliant series. He was awarded the Man of the Series prize for his economical bowling in the series. In the first match played at New Delhi, he took just one wicket and went for a few runs.

But in the next match at Rajkot, he was outstanding with his line and length and gave away just 23 runs in 4 overs at an economy rate of 5.75 runs per over.

In the rain affected decider at Trivandrum, Bumrah dismissed the dangerous Colin Munro cheaply in the second over of the innings. He also bowled the very important penultimate over, when the visitors required 29 runs off 12 balls.

In that over, he gave away just 10 runs, took an important wicket of Henry Nicholls and finished his spell with a figure of 2 for 9 runs at a rate of 4.5 runs per over. He is currently the number 1 T20I bowler in the ICC rankings.