India and New Zealand's first assignment after the T20 World Cup is a T20I and ODI series against each other. New Zealand will be hosting the tour and India, as has become the norm in bilateral cricket, will be playing two significantly different teams in the two series. They will not be captained by regular captain Rohit Sharma in either series, with Hardik Pandya leading them in the T20Is and Shikhar Dhawan captaining the team in the ODI series.
India will be kickstarting the white-ball tour with the first T20I set to take place in Wellington on Friday. New Zealand captain Kane Williamson said that the India's depth meant that they would be strong regardless of the team they field. "Their side has been busy. It is natural that not everyone can do everything. Their depth is second to none. I have seen the talent these players have and there are plenty of superstars in that team," Williamson told the media.
For the Kiwis, veteran fast bowler Trent Boult is not part of the team for the ODI or T20I series. Boult had given up his central contract with the national team to free up his calendar. "Trent Boult has been a world-class player for us. He has been a huge part of our team. Hopefully, we will see him in New Zealand colours again. But it is a moving landscape, you make different decisions throughout your career," said Williamson.
Williamson was released by Sunrisers Hyderabad ahead of the mini-auction scheduled on December 23. He made his IPL debut for the Orange Army in 2015 and led the franchise as well across multiple seasons. The batter had a forgettable season in IPL 2022 as he scored only 216 runs in 13 innings. Williamson said that he was aware of the move a few days back and said he would love to keep playing in the league as it is a "special tournament". "Had real fun time and memories with Sunrisers Hyderabad," he added.
{{/usCountry}}Williamson was released by Sunrisers Hyderabad ahead of the mini-auction scheduled on December 23. He made his IPL debut for the Orange Army in 2015 and led the franchise as well across multiple seasons. The batter had a forgettable season in IPL 2022 as he scored only 216 runs in 13 innings. Williamson said that he was aware of the move a few days back and said he would love to keep playing in the league as it is a "special tournament". "Had real fun time and memories with Sunrisers Hyderabad," he added.
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