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India-New Zealand Combined T20I XI


India and New Zealand are facing off in five T20Is ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026, which begins in 3 weeks.

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Let's build a combined T20I XI of the two sides:

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1. Abhishek Sharma

No surprises here. Abhishek is the No. 1-ranked T20I batter in the world.

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2. Finn Allen (wk)

A brutal powerhitter, Allen edges out Sanju Samson due to recent form.

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3. Tilak Varma

Tilak averages nearly 50 in T20Is and his measured temperament has earned him plaudits.

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4. Suryakumar Yadav (c)

SKY may be out of form, but few can deny his pedigree. He is yet to lose a series as T20I captain.

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5. Hardik Pandya

One of the premier white-ball all-rounders in the world, Hardik's selection is a no-brainer.

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6. Glenn Phillips

Phillips edges out Rinku Singh and Shivam Dube due to his all-round and fielding prowess.

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7. Michael Bracewell

A 50-50 call as Bracewell and Axar Patel have nearly identical T20I stats.

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8. Mitchell Santner

New Zealand captain Santner is an easy pick, having taken 130 T20I wickets in his career.

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9. Arshdeep Singh

India's highest-ever T20I wicket-taker, Arshdeep gets in ahead of the in-form Jacob Duffy.

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10. Jasprit Bumrah

An automatic inclusion. Bumrah was the difference-maker for India at the T20 World Cup 2024.

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11. Varun Chakravarthy

Varun's rise to the No. 1 spot in the T20I bowling rankings confirms his spot in the XI.

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