India vs New Zealand: NZ will beat India 2-1 in T20I series, says Peter Fulton | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Former New Zealand cricketer Peter Fulton feels that New Zealand will emerge victorious against India in the three-match T20I series, which starts today, November 17, at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.
Fulton, who played 23 Tests, 49 ODIs, and 12 T20Is for New Zealand between 2004 and 2014, feels the series will be a close one, but New Zealand, who lost the T20 World Cup final to Australia recently, will clinch the series 2-1.
The second T20I will be played at JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi and will be followed by the third and last T20I at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
TimesofIndia.com caught up with Fulton and spoke about the T20I series, new captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli resting for this series and much more.

PTI Photo
How would you rate India’s chances against New Zealand in the T20I series?
It will be an interesting series. India were knocked out early in the T20 World Cup and would be desperate to put on a good performance in the series. Rohit will be leading the side. He is a talented cricketer. India will be keen to win the series under new captain Rohit Sharma. New Zealand players must be tired as the series started just a couple of days after the final vs Australia. I am confident New Zealand will put on a good show despite a tight and heavy schedule. I am predicting a close series between India and NZ. NZ will win 2-1 against India.
Which two player battles, according to you, will be the two key clashes in the series?
Trent Boult vs Rohit Sharma and Tim Southee vs KL Rahul will be the exciting and key clashes to watch (out for) in the series. Boult and Southee were at their best in the T20 World Cup. These two can play a big role for New Zealand in the series. Southee and Boult need to stop Rohit and KL Rahul from scoring big to win the series.

KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma (AFP Photo)
What differences do you expect to see in the captaincy styles of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli?
Virat is a world-class player. He has taken Indian cricket to another level. He is one of the best cricketers in the world with a huge record to his name. As a player and captain, he has always enjoyed the game. Not having the pressure of being the captain, Virat will score a lot of runs in the coming years. It will be interesting to watch him bat.
Rohit Sharma has guided Mumbai Indians to as many as 5 IPL titles. Some feel Rohit should have been handed the T20I captaincy earlier. Your take on that…
Mumbai Indians is a very good organisation and Rohit took care of the side really well. There is a lot more involved in winning the game in cricket than captaincy. Virat has been a massive part of the Indian setup and has a lot of cricket left in him. He can play as long as he wants. As I said, he is one of the best in the world. Both have different qualities as captains. That’s cricket for you.