The Men in Blue will face the Blackcaps in a three-match T20I series on Friday, followed by ODIs. The Indian team will be led by Hardik Pandya against New Zealand.
Hardik was seen conversing with New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson while both were enjoying a "crocodile bike" ride in Wellington.
With the exception of Kohli, it appears that the Men in Blue are moving towards a transition in the T20 format, and with the T20 World Cup only 18 months away, the New Zealand series could be a good building block for team management and selectors to take note of youngsters' performances and give them a longer run in order to keep them in the loop for the marquee event in 2024.
Hardik and Williamson both spoke to the media on Wednesday, before of the opening game at Sky Stadium.
With several experienced players resting for the tour, Hardik said that the series will be an excellent opportunity for youngsters to demonstrate their worth in the team.
"Absolutely. As you said, a lot of the main guys are not here but at the same time, the players who are here have also been playing for India for a good amount of 1-1.5 years, even they have had ample chances, and enough time in international cricket to express themselves and showcase what they have. Very excited for them, new bunch and new energy."
Recently, the Indian team lost to England in the semi-finals of the just concluded T20 World Cup in Australia.
IND vs NZ T20I Series Schedule
The first T20I will be on Friday, November 18 at the Sky Stadium in Wellington. (12 PM IST)
The second T20I will be on Sunday, November 20 at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui. (12 PM IST)
The third T20I will be on Tuesday, November 22 at Mclean Park in Napier. (12 PM IST)
Squads
India- Hardik Pandya (c), Rishabh Pant (VC), Ishan Kishan, Shubman Gill, Deepak Hooda, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Sanju Samson, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik
New Zealand- Kane Williamson (c), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Devon Conway (wk), Lockie Ferguson, Daryl Mitchell, Adam Milne, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Blair Tickner.
READ| ‘Don’t need to prove anything to anyone’: Hardik Pandya looks ahead after T20 World Cup semis exit
