The Indian cricket
team will be up against New Zealand in match 28 of the ICC T20
World Cup. A question looming in everyone’s mind is whether young Ishan
Kishan should be given a place in the starting XI.

With Pakistan
having virtually qualified for the semi finals after beating India, New Zealand
and Afghanistan – the three biggest contenders in their group – just one semi final
spot remains up for grabs.

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Kishan’s presence in the batting line-up will certainly help India shake things
up a bit given Suryakumar Yadav’s form has been poor in the last few
months. The young southpaw’s explosive batting style is much needed to give India
a good start against the Kiwis.

Another
fact that tips the weight in Ishan’s favour is that he plays alongside Adam
Milne and Trent Boult in the Mumbai Indians’ camp. He had the opportunity of playing
the bowlers on a regular basis in the net sessions and would have a better idea
about their mindset and the tricks they have up their sleeve.

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The
left-hander will be better equipped to face Trent Boult’s in-swingers. He has found
his form back after a poor IPL season and can be a dependable choice.

In India’s warm up
match against England leading up to the T20 World Cup, Kishan put in a good
showing. He scored an unbeaten 70 runs in 46 balls, his innings consisted of 7 fours
and 3 sixes.

While India will be
betting on Rishabh Pant to guard the stumps, Kishan’s contributions as a
fielder are also invaluable.

Ishan has scored a
total of 80 runs in 3 innings for India in T20 Internationals, averaging 40.00
with a strike rate of 145.45.

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The youngster’s overall
record in T20 matches is far more impressive as he has scored 2,693 runs in 102
innings with a strike rate of 133.84.

Would you count on
Ishan Kishan against New Zealand? Let us know in the comments.