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Venue: Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur
After a crushing 48-run victory in the series opener at Nagpur, Team India heads to Raipur for the 2nd T20I with a 1-0 lead. While the Men in Blue looked clinical in the first game riding on Abhishek Sharma’s explosive 84 and a disciplined bowling effort they face a forced change for the second encounter.
The big talking point ahead of the toss? The likely absence of vice-captain and premier all-rounder Axar Patel.
It is not a tactical drop but a precautionary one. During the 1st T20I, Axar Patel suffered a blow to his finger while attempting to field a powerful drive from Daryl Mitchell. Although he completed his spell, reports suggest that he experienced significant swelling.
With the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 less than three weeks away (starting February 7), the team management is unlikely to risk aggravating the injury.
India is likely to stick to the attacking template set by Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson at the top.
Key Battle: The Raipur pitch is generally slower than the Nagpur pitch. If Kuldeep plays, the middle-overs battle against Glenn Phillips and Rachin Ravindra will decide the game.
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