Ind vs NZ, 1st T20I: Road to 2022 T20 World Cup begins as Rohit-led hosts gear up for Kiwi test

New Delhi: After a disappointing show in the recently concluded ICC men’s T20 World Cup, Team India will look to start their preparations for next year’s T20 World Cup on the right note when they take on New Zealand in the first T20I at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Wednesday.

India and New Zealand will lock horns in a three-match T20I series this week and it will be the start of a new era for the Men in Blue under skipper Rohit Sharma and new head coach Rahul Dravid.

Last week, opening batter Rohit Sharma was named India’s T20I skipper and KL Rahul was appointed his deputy. Virat Kohli had announced before the T20 World Cup that the showpiece event will be his last assignment as skipper in the shortest format of the game. With the ICC announcing the dates of the 2022 T20 World Cup, Team India will look to bury the ghost of this year’s performance and start afresh.

Vice-captain Rahul has said the Men In Blue have a great opportunity to learn from former skipper Dravid.

“We all know how big a name Rahul Dravid is, we have a great opportunity to learn from him and get better as cricketers. When it comes to coaching, I have played a couple of games with India A setup, he is somebody who has a great understanding of the game and creates an atmosphere where everybody is comfortable. He has always been a team man,” said Rahul in a press conference on Monday.

Rahul admitted that being the deputy will bring an additional responsibility for him, but he is looking forward to the challenge.

On the other hand, New Zealand has suffered a blow with skipper Kane Williamson skipping the T20I series and the Kiwis will look to bounce back under the leadership of Tim Southee after the World Cup defeat on Sunday.

India can also take confidence from the fact that the Men in Blue had thrashed Kiwis 5-0 in New Zealand last year. It will also be interesting to know who is included in India’s playing XI for the first T20I with young batters Venkatesh Iyer and Ruturaj Gaikwad eyeing to make a mark.

India squad: Rohit Sharma (Captain), KL Rahul (Vice-Captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Venkatesh Iyer, Yuzvendra Chahal, R Ashwin, Axar Patel, Avesh Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Deepak Chahar, Harshal Patel and Mohd. Siraj

New Zealand squad: Tim Southee (captain), Daryl Mitchell, Martin Guptill, Tim Seifert, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Jimmy Neesham, Kyle Jamieson, Todd Astle, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Adam Milne, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult.