"Anytime a white-ball team like India turns up, I think there is always going to be runs on offer" - Ish Sodhi

New Zealand leg-spinner Ish Sodhi has opened up about the challenges of bowling against an explosive batting side like India. The Men in Blue will tour New Zealand for three ODIs and three T20Is following the culmination of the T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia.

New Zealand is arguably one of the toughest countries for a spinner to function in because of its rather fast-paced wickets and short boundary dimensions. Eden Park in Auckland, in particular, is peculiar in terms of its shape and has one of the shortest dimensions in world cricket, making it a difficult prospect to bowl, especially in T20 cricket.

India compiled a stunning 5-0 whitewash in the T20I series the last time they toured New Zealand in early 2020.

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Predicting the upcoming bilateral series between Team India and the Kiwis to be a high-scoring affair, in an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda facilitated by Prime Video, Sodhi said:

"New Zealand, I guess, is renowned for its small boundaries. Anytime a white-ball team like India turns up, I think there is always going to be runs on offer. So, bowling becomes an important part of the game, more than usual I think."

Asserting the importance of finding the right balance between defensive and attacking bowling over the course of the innings, Sodhi continued:

"If your bowlers can find a mix between being aggressive and defensive, something which our opening bowlers have done really well over the years, then if the spin bowlers can complement that and be able to take some wickets, and ensure that towards the death they don't have two or three batters."

Sodhi is one of the few leg-spinners that New Zealand cricket has produced over the years. The right-arm bowler recently became the fifth bowler to claim 100 T20I wickets. He is the second New Zealander to achieve the feat after Tim Southee.

"I am really looking forward to the series" - Ish Sodhi on the upcoming white-ball bilateral series against India

India failed to beat New Zealand in a T20I contest across their first five attempts until 2017. But the Men in Blue have had the sheer upperhand when it comes to T20I contests in recent times.

The Kiwis have recorded only one win out of their last nine matches against India, with their solitary victory coming at the T20 World Cup 2021.

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Acknowledging India's prowess across all formats, Sodhi said:

"I am really looking forward to the series (against India after the T20 WC), they are obviously a very tough team to beat in all conditions, so we are really looking forward to having them here, and we in the past have not done well against them over here, especially in the last T20 series, so it would be nice to turn their form around them and have a good series."

Cricket enthusiasts in India can watch the Men in Blue's tour of New Zealand, starting on November 18 on Prime video.

Who will win the T20I series between India and New Zealand? Let us know what you think.