IND vs NZ 2021: Kane Williamson opts out of the T20I series, Tim Southee to captain in the first match against India
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson is all set to give the team's impending three-match T20I series versus India a miss. The champion cricketer will not feature in any of the white-ball matches as he aims to focus on the subsequent two-match Test series.
As per New Zealand Cricket's official release, the right-hander will join the group of Test specialists, who have already commenced their training in Jaipur. Veteran fast bowler Tim Southee has been named as the captain for the opening contest in the absence of Williamson.
"With the opening game of the T20 series on Wednesday evening, followed by games on Friday and Sunday night - the decision was made for Williamson to join the Test specialist group already training in Jaipur as they focus on red-ball preparation." - New Zealand Cricket's statement
Kiwi speedster Lockie Ferguson was ruled out of the T20 World Cup 2021 with a calf injury. He is expected to be fit for the T20I series as per the official release. The likes of Mitchell Santner, Kyle Jamieson, Daryl Mitchell and Glen Phillips are also likely to take part in both the formats.
Kane Williamson will miss this week’s three-game T20 series against India as he prioritises preparing for the Test series starting on November 25 in Kanpur. #INDvNZ nzc.nz/news-items/wil…
India look to make amends after their embarrassing group-stage exit from the T20 World Cup 2021
The Indian think tank has undergone major changes with Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri's long-standing association coming to an end post the T20 World Cup.
While Rahul Dravid has been named as the new head coach for the Indian side, Rohit Sharma will be the new captain in the shortest format. Along with Kohli, several senior campaigners including Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Ravindra Jadeja and Hardik Pandya have been rested for the home T20I series.
Say Hello to our T20I captain @ImRo45 & Head Coach Rahul Dravid. 👋 😊
#TeamIndia #INDvNZ https://t.co/feQpH0q7tC
India and New Zealand are scheduled to battle it out in the T20I series opener on Wednesday, November 17 at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. The remaining two fixtures will be played in Ranchi and Kolkata on November 19 and November 21 respectively.