India VS New Zealand: Rain could be a spoiler in second T20I and split Indian captains
The build-up to India’s new T20 team was a damp squib of a start, and it was literal to some extent
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Chances of washout high for second T20 matchIndia is currently in New Zealand for a white ball tour that will see them face the Black Caps for 3 T20Is and 3 ODIs; they have not played a single competitive minute in the country by far.
And, as things stand, there seems a perfect chance that the match at Mount Maunganui, too, with a rain forecast there through the day.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">📸 📸 Snapshots from <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a>'s traditional welcome at Mt. Maunganui<br><br>Image Courtesy: Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NZvIND?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NZvIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/K4yUiScPO7">pic.twitter.com/K4yUiScPO7</a></p>— BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/1593896766700544001?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
This means that, unless there’s a significant change in weather, cricket fans are in for either a game that is at least partially curtailed by rain or, worse, yet another washout.
It would be a frustrating way for the match to end for the second straight occasion. And, to make things worse, the actual purpose of this series would only be served with one of the three matches washed out.
There are rumours that the BCCI is willing to accept that split captaincy might be the best option for the team going forward.
And, as things stand, it seems as if incumbent Rohit Sharma will keep a hold of the reins in the Test and ODI formats.
But a new T20I leader is the aim – and it seems likely that Hardik Pandya will be the man to take India forward in the shortest game format.
At first glance, it is easy to understand why the team have pivoted towards Pandya. It’s not just that he led Gujarat Titans to an IPL title for the first time asking, although that certainly helps.
It’s also down to the fact that, for better or worse, none of the alternatives has set the world on fire.