Team India’s T20 World Cup 2022 campaign came to an end with a 10-wicket thrashing at the hands of England in the second semi-final at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday (November 10).
India’s next assignment is the white-ball tour of New Zealand, where they will play three T20Is and as many ODIs.
For the tour, beginning November 18, senior players have been rested while the squad includes youngsters such as Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson, Umran Malik, Kuldeep Sen among others.
Former India pacer Zaheer Khan is excited for the series as he believes it a great learning experience for young pacers like Kuldeep Sen and Umran Malik.
“This is going to be a super exciting series. I am very keen to see how the tearaway Umran Malik will perform on these pitches. This tour would be a great learning experience for him and Kuldeep Sen,” said Zaheer while speaking to Prime Video.
“The New Zealand pitches have traditionally assisted the pacers and they will make the difference between the fortunes of the two teams,” he added.
Zaheer Khan, who represented India in 92 Tests, 200 ODIs and 17 T20Is, also cautioned the Indian fast bowlers about the heavy breeze in Wellington.
“A big word of caution to all pacers touring New Zealand for the first time, watch out for the heavy breeze in Wellington, it is tough to run against it and may disrupt your rhythm. Similarly, if you are running with the wind, you may end up being pushed by it, so be prepared for these unique conditions as you plan your attack,” said Khan.
While the three-match T20I series will be played from November 18-22, the three ODIs will be held from November 25-30.
The white-ball games will take place across six venues – Wellington, Mount Maunganui, Napier, Auckland, Hamilton, and Christchurch.
India Squad for NZ T20Is:
Hardik Pandya (C), Rishabh Pant (vc & wk), Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan, Deepak Hooda, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Sanju Samson (wk), Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umran Malik.
India Squad for NZ ODIs:
Shikhar Dhawan (C), Rishabh Pant (vc & wk), Shubman Gill, Deepak Hooda, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Sanju Samson (wk), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Shahbaz Ahmed, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Deepak Chahar, Kuldeep Sen, Umran Malik.
