Indore, Jan 17 (NationPress) In Rajkot, KL Rahul showcased his talent, yet it was the superior bowling and the prowess of Daryl Mitchell that allowed New Zealand to emerge triumphant, securing a seven-wicket victory and leveling the series at 1-1. Now, all eyes are on Indore as India and New Zealand prepare for the decisive match.

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will take to the field in international competition for the last time until their next ODI series in July. Sharma is just 17 runs shy of becoming the seventh opener to achieve 16,000 international runs.

Meanwhile, Kohli has regained the top position in the ICC men’s ODI rankings and has recorded at least one score of over 50 in 24 different venues across India. However, Indore is still one of the four venues where he has not yet scored a fifty.

Rahul stepped up for India with a remarkable performance, scoring an impressive 112 not out off just 92 balls, propelling his team to a competitive total despite the struggles of others. Against New Zealand, his performance has been exceptional, amassing 469 runs in 10 innings with an average of 93.8, which includes a half-century and two centuries. He will aim to deliver another significant innings when the teams clash on Sunday.

Daryl Mitchell, a consistent run-scorer, continues to challenge the Men in Blue, with three centuries in his last four ODI innings against India in India, surpassing 130 runs each time. The 34-year-old is determined to elevate his performance further to aid in a historic series win.

India boasts an unbeaten record at Indore, having won all seven ODIs played there. In their most recent matches in 2023, they scored 399/5 against Australia and 385/9 against New Zealand.

Additionally, captain Shubman Gill is just 70 runs away from reaching 3,000 ODI runs. He has hit centuries in both matches played at Indore’s Holkar Stadium and will look to keep that streak alive.

The team’s leading spinner, Kuldeep Yadav, had a difficult outing in the last match, conceding 82 runs in 10 overs while claiming only one wicket and will be eager to bounce back in this crucial match.

For New Zealand, Devon Conway previously scored a stylish 138 off 100 balls against India when they last played at this venue in January 2023, making him a key player to watch.

There is a lot riding on this series finale. Gill has one last opportunity to secure his first home ODI series victory as India’s captain, while New Zealand is just one win away from achieving their first ODI bilateral series win in India.

When: Sunday, Jan 18, 1:30 PM IST

Where: Holkar Stadium, Indore

Where to watch: Live coverage on Star Sports Network and streaming on JioHotstar

Squads

India: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (c), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ravindra Jadeja, Ayush Badoni

New Zealand: Devon Conway (wk), Will Young, Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell (c), Zakary Foulkes, Nick Kelly, Josh Clarkson, Michael Rae, Kyle Jamieson, Mitchell Hay, Adithya Ashok, Kristian Clarke, Jayden Lennox