New Zealand vs India | 2nd T20I: The Kiwis will be up against the Men in Blue in the 2nd T20I of the three-match T20I series on Sunday, November 20, from 12 PM IST onwards at Mount Maunganui.

The first T20 in Sky Stadium washed out due to rain without a toss.

Also Read: India squad for New Zealand, Bangladesh series: Hardik to captain in T20Is, Dhawan to lead in ODIs

Make your dream11 team prediction and Fantasy League prediction with our fantasy cricket tips and suggestions. Get early updates, game previews, news, suggestion, and prediction for your fantasy team in our exclusive section Fantasy Sports.

New Zealand vs India: 2nd T20I match Preview

Match Details

Match: New Zealand vs India – 2nd T20I
Venue: Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui.
Date & Time: 20th November 2022 at 12:00 PM (IST)
Where to Watch Live: Amazon Prime.

Read Also: BCCI planning to introduce split captaincy after the arrival of new selectors

Pitch Report: New Zealand vs India: 2nd T20I Preview

The Bay Oval pitch is a flat deck that aids runs-scoring. Short boundaries on either side will benefit the batters. 170 is the par score.

Head-to-Head Stats:

Matches Played: 20
Won by New Zealand: 9
Won by India: 11

Team News:

New Zealand:

The Wellington T20 washed out due to rain while the Kiwis will be looking to capitalize on chances in the next two games. However, after another disappointing performance in the World Cup, the Kiwis will be looking to keep rotating their players to find the best possible xi within the next world cup. Earlier, the Kiwis announced their squad for both the T20 and ODI series as Kane Williamson is set to lead in both series.

The squad is looking strong while Trent Boult and Martin Guptil miss out due to respective reasons. Boult has put himself out of NZ's central contract to spend some time with his family while Guptil dropped from the squad. Finn Allen is set to continue with the opening set-up in both white ball formats.

Also Read: Strike rate, knockouts, T20Is and Kane Willamson: A question needs to be answered

India:

Meanwhile, on the other hand, it's again captain Hardik Pandya, who will lead India in the T20I series as Rohit has been rested for the tour. Virat and Rohit both will join the team on their next tour to Bangladesh. Just like the Kiwis, India has also had a heartbreak in the semis, losing against England to be knocked out of the tournament.

Rishabh Pant will act as vice captain while Ishan Kishan is expected to open the innings with Shubman Gill. Jammu pacer Umran Malik is back again in the Indian set-up while Kuldeep is also been included in the T20 squad. India has five total of five pacers and three spinners in the team. Both Shreyas Iyer and Sanju Samson is back again in the T20I squad while Sanju may play in the middle order.

New Zealand vs India: 2nd T20I : Possible Playing XI

New Zealand:

Finn Allan
Devon Conway (wk)
Kane Williamson (C)
Glenn Phillips
Daryl Mitchell
Jimmy Neesham
Mitchell Santner
Lockie Ferguson
Tim Southee
Ish Sodhi
Adam Milne

India:

Shubman Gill
Ishan Kishan
Shreyas Iyer
Suryakumar Yadav
Hardik Pandya (C)
Rishabh Pant (wk)
Washington Sundar
Harshal Patel
Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Yuzvendra Chahal
Mohammed Siraj

Also Read: IPL 2023 Retention: Full list of players released and retained by all 10 franchises

2nd T20I: Fantasy Cricket Dream11 Team Prediction: New Zealand vs India:

You must change your team if any of these players aren't announced in the starting lineup.

Scoring a century in any form of cricket is a moment of glory, but in the fast-paced format of T20s, it gets more exciting to watch. Numerous cricketers have consistently proved themselves in this format by delivering spectacular tons.

The list goes deep as we have such power-hitters from around the globe!

Join us as we explore the list of players with most centuries in WT20Is and celebrate their glorious innings.

1. Esha Oza (4 centuries) | UAE

The current captain of UAE, Esha Oza, holds the record for most centuries in WT20Is with 4 centuries in her T20 career so far. This Indian-born cricketer made her debut in T20Is in 2018 and reached this milestone extremely fast.

She is also the fastest player from UAE to reach 1000 runs in T20Is. Her fourth century in T20Is came against Qatar in the Asia Cup qualifier, where she led her team to a brilliant victory.

Read Also: Top 10 fastest centuries in Women's T20Is

Esha Oza stats in WT20Is

2. Chamari Athapaththu (3 centuries) | Sri Lanka

Chamari Athapaththu, the current captain of Sri Lanka national team, holds the 2nd position in this list with her 3 centuries in WT20Is. She is one of the finest cricketers from Sri Lanka and led them to win the 2024 Asia Cup.

Chamari scored her first hundred in T20Is in 2019 against Australia. She scored the other following centuries in 2024 against Scotland and Malaysia.

Read Also: England or Australia? Which team has won more Women's Ashes?

Chamari Athapaththu stats in WT20Is

3. Fatuma Kibasu (3 centuries) | Tanzania 

The former captain of Tanzania, Fatuma Kibasu, holds the 3rd position with her 3 centuries in WT20Is. She is the only Tanzanian woman to score a century at international level so far, and holds the highest individual score for her country in WT20Is.

Fatuma made her T20 debut in 2019 and played magnificently ever since!

Fatuma Kibasu stats in WT20Is

Read Also: Most WT20I runs in a calendar year

Other players with 2 centuries in WT20Is 

Here's a list of players who scored 2 centuries in WT20Is and comes in the list following the TOP 3.

Abhimanyu Easwaran was named the captain of the India A team for the tour of England as the BCCI announced the India A squad for the upcoming tour starting from 30th May 2025. 

India A will play two first-class matches against the England Lions at Canterbury and Northampton. Then they will play a practice match against the senior Indian team to prepare them for the big series against England. 

Karun Nair was rewarded for his excellent domestic form as he made a return to the India A side. His performance for the A side might decide whether he will be given a chance for the senior team or not.

Abishek Porel, who was named in the last India A's tour to Australia, has been replaced by Ishan Kishan in the side.

Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan, who will be busy in the Indian Premier League for the Gujarat Titans, will join the squad from the second match. 

India A squad for the England tour

India A squad: Abhimanyu Easwaran (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Karun Nair, Dhruv Jurel (VC) (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shardul Thakur, Ishan Kishan (WK), Manav Suthar, Tanush Kotian, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep, Harshit Rana, Anshul Kamboj, Khaleel Ahmed, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sarfaraz Khan, Tushar Deshpande, Harsh Dubey

India A' schedule for the England tour

After the Champions Trophy 2025, India's target in ODI cricket will be the ODI World Cup 2027. In such a situation, know what is Team India's ODI schedule till the World Cup 2027. The Men in Blue have to play a total of 9 series in the next ICC ODI tournament, which includes 27 matches.

Apart from this, some more ODI matches can be scheduled near the tournament. So, know what is the ODI schedule of Indian Cricket Team till 2027 and when India will face which team.

Also Read: The Kohli Effect: Will Indian fans lose interest in Test cricket after Virat Kohli's retirement?

The ODI World Cup2027 will be held around October to December. Before this, the Indian team is going to play a lot of matches. India have to play 3-match ODI series against 8 teams. They will play series twice against one country.

India will play New Zealand twice

India will play Australia, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, West Indies and Sri Lanka once each in the upcoming ODI series, while it will play New Zealand twice. Out of the nine series, India will play six series at home, while the rest will be held outside the country.

It will start with the tour of Bangladesh in August, which will be played this year. In October-November 2025, India has to play a three-match ODI series on its tour of Australia. South Africa's team will tour India in November-December.

India will host Sri Lankan team in December 2026

In January 2026, the New Zealand team will play an ODI series in India. After this, India has to play a three-match series against Afghanistan in June. In July 2026, Team India will have to play the same number of ODI series on its tour of England.

The West Indies team is scheduled to tour India in September-October. There will be an ODI series against New Zealand at home in October-November. India will host the Sri Lankan team for an ODI series in December 2026.

Also Read: Fav four in Test cricket: Kohli vs Root vs Williamson vs Smith stats in Tests

India's ODI schedule till World Cup 2027

Cricket, a sport loved by millions around the world, has witnessed the rise of several legendary players. In the modern era, four exceptional batsmen have stood out with their consistent brilliance, earning them the title of the “Fab Four players.” Their performances are often compared under the widely discussed Fab four Stats.

These iconic cricketers – Virat Kohli, Joe Root, Kane Williamson, and Steve Smith have set new benchmarks for batting excellence across formats. 

Virat Kohli recently announced his retirement from Test cricket earlier today (May 12) with a post on his official Instagram handle. He ended his 14-year illustrious career in the format.

In this article, we will take a closer look at their remarkable careers, comparing their updated statistics and achievements to understand what makes them the finest batsmen of the modern era in Test cricket. 

Also Read: Fav four in cricket: Kohli vs Root vs Williamson vs Smith overall stats

So, let's take a look at the statistics of the Fav Four in Test cricket.

Fav four in Test cricket | Kohli vs Root vs Williamson vs Smith

Test cricket, often considered the ultimate test of a player’s skill and temperament, has seen these four players shine brightly. Here’s how they stack up in the longest format.

Virat Kohli's peak in Test cricket arrived well before the likes of Joe Root and Kane Williamson. Steve Smith matched him toe to toe during that period, but the 12-month ban due to the sandpaper gate overshadowed his brilliance in the format. 

However, when we compare the numbers of Fab four in 2025, Kohli has fallen way behind his contemporaries. Root is at the peak of his powers in Test cricket in the last five years while Williamson has never really been out of form in the whites.

Smith has been on and off over the last couple of years, but his form has never been a concern for Australia in Tests. When it comes to runs, averages and centuries, Kohli ranks last among Fab four and a lot of it has to do with his downfall in the format since November 2019.

Also Read: Sachin vs Kohli: Stats Comparison in Test Cricket

Here is a comparison of Fav four in Test cricket.

Fav four in Test cricket | How Kohli finished in Tests compared to Fab four

It is certain that Virat Kohli, who was once untouchable in the debate of Fab Four, will remain at the bottom forever when compared to his contemporaries. Only if his form hadn't dropped after November 2019, the 36-year-old, today, has stepped down from the format with some unreal numbers.

If anyone has followed cricket casually over the last decade, they're likely familiar with four key names: former Indian captain Virat Kohli, batting genius Steve Smith, English great Joe Root, and New Zealand's all-time leading run-scorer Kane Williamson.

They together are known as the 'Fab Four' in the modern era of cricket.

Each of them has set new benchmarks for performance, continually pushing one another to enhance their skills. These four batsmen have not only dominated the world of cricket but have also met the expectations of their respective nations.

In this article, we will examine the statistics of the Fab Four across all formats.

Fav Four in cricket: How many runs & centuries have they scored in International Cricket?

Virat Kohli has been the most prolific all-format batter among the fav-four. Kohli, till now in his 550 international games, has scored 27,599 runs with an outstanding average of 52.27. His record of 82 international centuries is only second to Sachin Tendulkar's 100 international centuries.

Read Also | Most ICC Trophies by any men's team

Joe Root comes in second among them with 20,724 runs so far for England across formats. However, undoubtedly, he has been the best test batter of his generation with 12972 test runs, which sets him as the highest test run scorer for England. Root has also scored 53 international hundreds, of which 36 came in tests only.

Read Also | Winners list of last 10 ICC Tournaments (men's)

Kane Williamson, New Zealand's highest runscorer in international cricket, comes at number three in terms of international runs among the fav four. The former Kiwi leader has scored 19,086 runs so far in his career at an average of 48.56. Kane is now only two short of reaching 50 international hundreds. 

Read Also | Most Test runs in 2024: Root, Jaiswal, Duckett and more

Aussie great Steven Smith comes at four with 17,165 runs at an average of 47.81. A late bloomer with the bat, Smith has been outstanding for Australia in tests and ODIs. Along with Root, Smith has also been one of the greatest test batters of this generation.

Here is a comparison of international stats of the fav four. 

Read Also: Most Wickets in Test Cricket

Fab Four in Cricket: Stats across different formats

Virat Kohli (IND)

Joe Root (ENG)

Kane Williamson (NZ)

Steven Smith (AUS)

Note: The article was initially written by Abishek Goswami and then got updated by Koushik Biswas