India Eye Clean Sweep as Shreyas’ Men Gear Up for Fourth T20I

India have made an impressive start to their New Zealand tour, winning the first three T20Is to seal the series with two matches to spare. The team will now look to complete a clean sweep when it takes on New Zealand in the fourth T20I in Auckland on Friday. India produced a stunning batting display in the previous match, chasing a target of 199 in just 13.2 overs, powered by Abhishek Sharma’s explosive century and a brisk contribution from Vaibhav Suryavanshi. With Ishan Kishan yet to recover from his injury, India are likely to retain the playing XI from the previous game. Abhishek, Vaibhav, Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma and Naman Dhir have all shown good form, while captain Shreyas Iyer will be keen to make a significant contribution. New Zealand, meanwhile, will look to avoid a whitewash, with skipper and spinner Mitchell Santner expected to play a key role with the ball.

India’s bowling attack has been led by Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh and Prince Yadav, while all-rounders Nitish Kumar and Naman Dhir have also made useful contributions. Senior pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar, however, has managed just one wicket in three matches and will be eager to improve his performance. Arshdeep is just one wicket away from becoming the first Indian bowler to claim 150 wickets in T20 internationals. Auckland’s batting-friendly surface and short boundaries could make for another high-scoring contest, although the bowlers may also find some assistance. India have maintained an impressive run rate of 10.45 in T20 innings this year. Tilak Varma has said he is comfortable playing aggressively and can adapt to different batting positions, while also focusing on rotating the strike, finding gaps and staying at the crease until the end.