Top 5 players in the India vs New Zealand ODI series

In the recently concluded three-match ODI series between India and New Zealand, where the hosts defeated the visitors 2-1, there were many spectacular performances. The Kiwis gave a tough competition to the Indian team and made it difficult for them to assert their authority. But, the hosts kept their nerves intact in intense situations and clinched yet another ODI series.

Here we'll have a look at five players who stood out from the rest in the series.

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#5 Bhuvneshwar Kumar

The swing king of Indian bowling finished the series with a total of 5 wickets. Kumar also scored 26 crucial runs in the first match, showing his ability to become a swing bowling all-rounder in the team.

At Pune, in the second ODI, Kumar provided breakthroughs in the earlier phase of the innings, took important wickets of Martin Guptill and aggressive Colin Munro, and ended up with a figure of 3-45 at an economy rate of 4.50 runs per over and won the Man of the Match award.

He was very expensive in the last match at Kanpur, where he gave 92 runs in 10 overs, but brought all his experience into play in the death overs, where he took an important wicket of Henry Nicholls from a wonderful yorker.

Kumar has become one of the frontline bowlers of the Indian bowling attack.

#4 Yuzvendra Chahal

The 27-year old leggie once again proved his worth in this Indian team and took 4 wickets in the series. In the first match in Mumbai, he could not trouble the Kiwi batsman much, leaked 51 runs in his quota of 10 overs and went wicketless.

However, in the next match at Pune, he came back with a decent bowling figure of two wickets for 36 runs at an economy rate of 4.50 runs per over.

Chahal's ability to reduce the flow of runs in the middle overs brought India back into the game in the final match at Kanpur, where he gave away just 47 runs in 10 overs and took two important wickets of Colin Munro and Kane Williamson.

Chahal has been a great find for India in the last one year and has worked hard to seal his spot in the team.

#3 Jasprit Bumrah

The death over specialist of the Indian bowling attack had a magnificent series. He was the leading wicket-taker with 6 wickets and his yorkers and slower ones troubled the Kiwi batsmen throughout the series.

Bumrah went for a few runs in the first match played at Mumbai, where he gave 62 runs at an economy rate of 6.22 runs per over. But he came back very strong in the second match at Pune and took two wickets, giving 38 runs in 10 overs.

In the nail-biting decider at Kanpur, he kept his cool in the last few overs and finished his spell with a figure of 3 for 47 at a rate of 4.7 runs per over. He, with his wit, ran the set batsman Latham out, which turned the match towards the home team.

Bumrah, by the virtue of his performance in this series, climbed up to the number 3 spot in the ICC ODI bowler’s rankings.

#2 Tom Latham

Latham caught everyone’s attention with an outstanding display of batting in the series. While he used to open the innings previously, his new position in the line-up (no. 5) made him a better batsman.

He was the 2nd highest run scorer in the series with 206 runs in three matches at an average of 103. In the first match, at Mumbai, when his team looked in trouble with a pile of runs left to be chased, Latham played a century knock and took his team home. He, along with Ross Taylor, added 200 runs for the 4th wicket and ensured the Kiwis' victory over the Indian team.

Latham almost took his team home in the series decider at Kanpur as well with a quickfire half-century, but could not keep his nerves and lost his wicket due to a misunderstanding between the wickets.

#1 Virat Kohli

The Indian skipper was brilliant in the series. With a total of 268 runs in three matches at an average of 87.67, including two hundreds, he was named the Man of the Series. In the first match, when every Indian batsman faced difficulty facing the pace and swing of Trent Boult and Tim Southee, Kohli held his own and got his team to a respectable total of 280, scoring a brilliant hundred.

Kohli also built a 200-run stand with Rohit Sharma in the series decider at Kanpur, where he scored his 32nd hundred of his career. The Indian skipper, with his batting, is reaching new heights and has already become a legendary ODI batsman.

He has also replaced AB de Villiers to take the no.1 spot back in the ICC ODI batsmen rankings.