Christchurch, Oct. 21 -- The T20I series between New Zealand and India will witness a battle between two of the most exciting T20I batters in the world, openers Finn Allen and Abhishek Sharma, who have been sensational for their respective sides this year.

The first T20I will take place at Christchurch on Thursday. Abhishek owns the fastest T20I century by a player from a Test-playing nation, having scored it against Afghanistan earlier this year. Finn Allen's 33-ball ton against South Africa was the fastest century across ICC T20 and 50-over World Cups.

The 27-year-old Allen has played 62 T20Is for NZ, scoring 1,663 runs in 61 innings at an average of 28.67 and a strike rate of over 170, with three centuries and seven fifties. In 26 T2...