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The 2nd T20I between India and New Zealand at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur has seen a significant shift in India’s bowling dynamics. Captain Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and opted to bowl first, citing the presence of evening dew and a desire to test India’s chasing abilities ahead of the global event. While the Raipur crowd was eager to see India’s full-strength attack, the playing XI featured two notable omissions in the bowling and all-round departments. These tactical and forced changes come as India looks to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series following their dominant 48-run victory in the opener.
IND vs NZ, 2nd T20I: Why Jasprit Bumrah and Axar Patel are missing the 2nd T20I in Raipur
The absence of Jasprit Bumrah and vice-captain Axar Patel from the Raipur T20I is a strategic decision rooted in long-term fitness management with the T20 World Cup 2026 just three weeks away.
Axar’s exclusion is a forced one; he suffered a painful blow to the index finger of his bowling hand while attempting a return catch off Daryl Mitchell in the Nagpur opener. The injury resulted in significant bleeding and required immediate medical attention, leading the team management to rest him today as a precautionary measure to ensure the wound heals completely before the tournament begins.
On the other hand, Bumrah has been rested purely as part of India’s workload management program to keep their primary pace weapon fresh for the high-intensity World Cup schedule. With a congested calendar, the BCCI medical team is taking zero risks with the premier fast bowler’s workload, especially on a Raipur surface that can be demanding for seamers.
In their absence, India have brought in Kuldeep Yadav and Harshit Rana, with Rana notably making his first presence in the series after showing impressive all-round form in the recent ODI series. This rotation allows India to test their bench strength and provides Kuldeep a chance to reclaim his rhythm, even if it slightly thins the batting depth usually provided by Axar at number eight.
“We have two changes – Axar is missing out because he got hit in the last game. And Bumrah is resting tonight. So Harshit and Kuldeep come in.” Suryakumar said during toss time.
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New Zealand’s search for a comeback and three changes in the 2nd T20I
New Zealand have arrived in Raipur with a sense of urgency, making three significant changes to their squad and playing XI as they attempt to level the series. After struggling to contain Abhishek Sharma’s 35-ball 84 in Nagpur, the Black Caps have drafted in the experienced Matt Henry and Zakary Foulkes to bolster their pace attack, replacing Kristian Clarke and Kyle Jamieson and Tim Siefert replaced Robinson.
Furthermore, the visitors have been forced into a squad change for the upcoming World Cup, naming Jamieson as a permanent replacement for the injured Adam Milne, who was ruled out due to a hamstring tear sustained during the SA20. The series currently stands 1-0 in favor of India, but the remaining three games in Guwahati and Visakhapatnam and Thiruvananthapuram promise high-scoring thrillers on batting-friendly tracks.
New Zealand will rely heavily on the form of Glenn Phillips and Mitchell to counter India’s spin duo of Kuldeep and Varun Chakaravarthy. For India, a win tonight would virtually seal the series, but the Kiwis have shown in the preceding ODI leg that they are masters of bouncing back from early setbacks to script historic results on Indian soil.
“We’ve got three changes – Seifert for Robinson, Christian Clark is out, Zak Foulkes is in, and Matt Henry is in for Jamieson.” Santner said.
