India's T20I team begins Nagpur practice as Hardik Pandya skips session
Members of India’s T20I squad began preparations for the five-match series against New Zealand at Nagpur’s New VCA Stadium on Sunday, with star all-rounder Hardik Pandya skipping the optional training session . Captain Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Ravi Bishnoi, Varun Chakaravarthy, and Sanju Samson were among those who attended the opening practice ahead of the series opener on January 21 .
Hardik expected to join practice under lights
The optional practice session ran from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm and focused on fitness and skill training . A Vidarbha Cricket Association official confirmed that Pandya could turn out for the practice session scheduled under lights on Monday from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm . The rest of the T20I squad members currently playing the ODI series decider in Indore are expected to arrive in Nagpur on Monday afternoon, along with the New Zealand team .
Squad changes before the series
India recently made changes to the T20I squad, drafting in leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi and middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer in place of Washington Sundar (side strain) and Tilak Varma (lower abdomen surgery) . However, Iyer will only be available for the first three matches of the series, with expectations that Varma will recover in time to play the last two games .
Series schedule across five cities
After the opening match in Nagpur on January 21, India and New Zealand will play the remaining T20I matches across four other venues . The second T20I is scheduled for January 23 at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur, followed by the third match on January 25 at the ACA Stadium in Guwahati . The series will then move to the ACA-VDCA Stadium in Visakhapatnam for the fourth T20I on January 28 before concluding at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on January 31 .
Final preparation before T20 World Cup
This five-match series represents India’s final assignment in the T20I format before their Men’s T20 World Cup title defence begins on February 7 . The defending champions will be looking to fine-tune their combinations and strategies against a strong New Zealand side before heading into the global tournament. The series timing makes it crucial for players to prove their fitness and form ahead of the World Cup squad selection.