India currently holds a commanding 2-0 lead after their success in Auckland. Now, New Zealand faces a desperate fight for survival in the 3rd T20I of the five-match series, taking place on January 29, 2020, at Hamilton.
The rivalry between these two teams dates back a decade. During their previous encounters across all formats, India claimed a 4-1 victory in the ODIs but swept the T20s 2-0. This trend repeated in early 2019, with India winning the ODI series 4-1, while New Zealand managed to secure a 2-1 win in the T20 matches.
In terms of performance, Virat Kohli leads the pack with 24 half-centuries, while Rohit Sharma follows closely with 19. MS Dhoni holds the record for the highest total runs due to his vast experience in 728 games, compared to Kohli's 586. Additionally, KL Rahul has been impressive, netting 11 fifties in 39 matches, surpassing Kane Williamson's 10 fifties across 59 games.
T20 international history is defined by the legendary run-scoring feats of its players. Both KL Rahul and Virat Kohli have shown a marked evolution in their play since the ODIs against Australia; now, Rahul—acting as both a key batsman and wicket-keeper—aims to rewrite the record books during this 2020 series.