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India National Cricket Team is set to travel to New Zealand for a multi-format series, including five ODIs and five T20Is. The series, especially the five ODIs, will be crucial for both teams, as the 2027 ODI World Cup will be approaching soon by then.
Ahead of the series, New Zealand National Team captain Mitchell Santner opens up about the series against India, where they will be up against two Indian stalwarts, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Indian cricket fans will be eager to watch the India vs New Zealand ODIs because of Rohit and Virat.
India will face New Zealand for T20Is and ODIs in an away series
The experienced batters, who only keep themselves active in the 50-over format, are expected to feature in the series. The series will be an important stage for both of the batters, as they will like to scale up their form before the World Cup.
The next ODI will be in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia, where the pace bowlers are expected to get extra help from the pitches. Ahead of that, the series in New Zealand will be a great test for the Indian batters in preparation.
Mitchell Santner on facing Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma
Through the news agency PTI video, Mitchell Santner expressed that facing Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli is going to be a challenge for the Blackcaps, as both of them are still good batters considering the respective phase of their career.
Rohit and Virat, both are nearing their forties, especially Rohit, batted well in the past few matches for the Indian cricket team whenever they got opportunities to perform.
"Yeah, it is going to be a challenge. Still very, very good players, as we've seen for a long time, and I guess masters of the ODI game. So, you know, they've taken a liking to some New Zealand pitchers in the past. Hopefully not this time around, but yeah, it's going to be a great series, no doubt, I think. And it's, I guess, all lead-up for the World Cup next year," Mitchell Santner said in the video.
Focus is starting to shift towards the 2027 ODI World Cup
Santner further mentioned that ahead of the 2027 World Cup, like the rest of the teams, they will be in the process of finding the strongest possible playing combinations during their upcoming matches.
Not only the series against India, but the New Zealand cricket team keeps all their focus on the upcoming events around which they are planning to set their team for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
"I guess everyone's trying to figure out their best team, what they might look like for, I guess, October next year with, I guess, limited, you know, games. We've got five against India, three against, you know, Sri Lanka at home, and then it's kind of World Cup prep in England, kind of right before the World Cup. So, you know, it's, I guess it's first things first, you want to win a series against India at home, which would be, which would be an awesome thing," Mitchell Santner added.
VIDEO | Blackcaps captain Mitchell Santner says India’s Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will pose a tough challenge in the upcoming ODI series, hoping the experienced duo does not find New Zealand conditions as favourable as in the past. India will tour New Zealand for five ODIs,… pic.twitter.com/tiq8lIpuGI
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 7, 2026
