Sports

India May Switch to Spinners After Auckland T20I Loss

By Harish Kotian

India could change its bowling lineup for the final T20I against New Zealand after the team struggled to contain the Kiwis in the fourth match. The side, which leads the five‑match series 3‑1, may bring in specialist spinners Kuldeep Yadav or Varun Chakravarthy, a move that would require sacrificing some batting depth. The decision would come after the bowlers, especially Bhuvneshwar Kumar, posted high economy rates, with only Arshdeep Singh keeping his under 10. The change would also involve dropping part‑time off‑spinners Naman Dhir and Nitish Kumar Reddy to make room for a dedicated bowler. India’s captain Shreyas Iyer has had a mixed run of scores, and Sanju Samson’s form has been inconsistent, prompting speculation that Vaibhav Sooryavanshi could be recalled. New Zealand, meanwhile, will look to finish the T20I series on a positive note before the ODI series, with key players such as Glenn Phillips and Michael Bracewell having performed strongly. The final T20I will be played in Hamilton on Sunday at 12.30 pm IST. The squads include Shreyas Iyer, Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Dhir, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Varun Chakaravarthy, and Kuldeep Yadav for India, and Finn Allen, Tim Seifert, Bevon Jacobs, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Devon Conway, Mitchell Santner, Michael Bracewell, Nathan Smith, Blair Tickner, Matt Fisher, Kyle Jamieson, Jacob Duffy, Adam Milne, and Josh Clarkson for New Zealand.