India will face New Zealand on its first World T20 match in Nagpur Tuesday. A big-hitting New Zealand team who are determined to show there is life after Brendon McCullum.
This is the start of a new era for New Zealand after the retirement of Brendon McCullum last month. He farewelled international cricket in front of a sparse crowd on the fifth day of a Test against Australia in Christchurch.
India do have the ability and the group to script history and a win in tomorrow’s opening game at the VCA Stadium in Jamtha would give them the ideal momentum to take on the challenges ahead head-on.
McCullum had not played a T20 international since June last year, Williamson having led the side to six wins from their past eight matches. They have quality specialist bowlers – Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Adam Milne, Mitchell McClenaghan, Ish Sodhi.
There have been nine ties in the history of T20 international cricket, and New Zealand have played in five of them.
India also suffered a rare defeat in what was an unofficial T20 international on Saturday when they lost by four runs to South Africa in another high-scoring match. Williamson believes that India are the team to beat but says his side which is still to win a world cup — do not lack in belief. “No doubt India will be possibly the favourites for this tournament but I think all the teams will come here thinking they can win it,” he said last week.
Teams
India (from): Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Shikhar Dhawan, Harbhajan Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Virat Kohli, Mohammed Shami, Pawan Negi, Ashish Nehra, Hardik Pandya, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Yuvraj Singh
New Zealand (from): Kane Williamson (captain), Corey Anderson, Trent Boult, Martin Guptill, Grant Elliott, Colin Munro, Mitchell McClenaghan, Nathan McCullum, Adam Milne, Henry Nicholls, Luke Ronchi, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor
headlineupdates 