IND vs NZ LIVE – Hardik Pandya snubs Parthiv Patel: Team India will take on NewZealand in the first T20I encounter set to be played in Ranchi on Friday (January 27). Meanwhile, Indian skipper Hardik Pandya has cleared the air on India’s opening combination for the first encounter. To note, several cricket pundits and experts were rooting for Prithvi Shaw to open alongside Ishan Kishan. However, Pandya has made it very clear that Shubman Gill is set to open alongside Kishan atleast for the first match. Follow India vs NewZealand LIVE Updates on InsideSport.IN.
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IND vs NZ LIVE: Captain Hardik Pandya clears air on India vs NewZealand 1st T20 opening combination, confirms, not Prithvi Shaw, ‘Shubman Gill will open with Ishan Kishan’: Check Out
Replying to query, Pandya said, “Nahi sir. Shubman ne bohot achha kiya hai so usko pehle mauka milega. Actually, mauke ki baat hi nahi hai. (No sir. Shubman has done really well so he will get the opportunity first. In fact, with him it doesn’t even come down to opportunities) Shubman will start because the way he is batting, he will obviously be in the team.”
Look who came visiting at training today in Ranchi – the great @msdhoni! 😊#TeamIndia | #INDvNZ pic.twitter.com/antqqYisOh
— BCCI (@BCCI) January 26, 2023
Meanwhile, Pandya also stated that the Blackcaps are a formidable T20 side and the Men in Blue are not taking them lightly.
“New Zealand is a strong T20I team. They are a fine one-day unit as well even though the recent series outcome does not reflect that. They always challenge you as a team, which was the case in the 1st ODI in Hyderabad. If they could have pulled out that chase, they would have entered the second game full of confidence. But at the same point of time, we will try our best and know that we will have to play our best to beat them. They will be get rolled over. It’s a fresh start,” added Hardik.