India’s T20I vice-captain KL Rahul on Monday (November 15) said that the long-term focus of his side will be the next World Cup in Australia next year but every series leading up to the showpiece event is equally important.

The Men in Blue are due to take on New Zealand in a three-match T20I series at home, starting on Wednesday (November 17) in Jaipur.

With Virat Kohli quitting his position as captain in the shortest format after the T20 World Cup 2021, Rohit Sharma has been named India’s T20I skipper while Rahul has been appointed as vice-captain.

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"The long-term goal is to focus on the World Cup but we will focus on the process and every series from now on is important. We will try to see what combinations are perfect for us and can be used for the world cup but right now we will be focusing on one series at a time," said Rahul during a virtual press conference.

Rahul also praised Rohit’s captaincy, saying his tactics and understanding of the game are really commendable.

"There is no new thing is Rohit's captaincy. We have been seeing him leading the Mumbai Indians for a long time now and his stats are so great. He has a good understanding of the game and his tactic is really good. We all enjoy watching Rohit bat. He is a great guy to be around and all of us are excited about the New Zealand series," he said.

Commenting on his role in the team, Rahul said, "I think it's a collective effort whatever happens in a team's sport like cricket. Everybody should be clear about their roles. All the players in the team, have been together for a very long time, we get along really well. It will be fun to go out and play."

The second T20I will be played in Ranchi on November 19 while Kolkata will host the third and final game on November 21.

After the T20I series, New Zealand and India will square off in a two-match Test series, which is part of the second WTC cycle.

The two Tests will be played in Kanpur (November 25-29) and Mumbai (December 3-7).

(With ANI inputs)