A week after playing their semi-final matches in the 20-20 World cup 2022, India and New Zealand will be up against each other in the white-ball series. The two teams will play three T20Is and three ODIs, starting from November 18.
New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson has hailed India’s stand-in skipper Hardik Pandya as ‘one of the most sought-after match winners in the game.
“Hardik is a superstar of the game. I played against him on a number of occasions. He is one of the most sought-after match-winners. And the fact that he is an all-rounder, his bowling is going really well, and he can hit the ball as he does. He is a special cricketer. As for his leadership skill goes, I haven’t played with him, so I exactly don’t know, but he has had a lot of success in the IPL.”, Kane added.
Umran is an exciting talent: Williamson
The kiwi has high some hopes for the fast bowler as they both have played together in the Indian T20 League.
Kane said, ”Umran is an exciting talent. His raw pace is a real asset to the team. To see him on the international scene now has been excellent. And I think when you have got that ability to bowl 150 mark as a fast bowler, it’s exhilarating. I think by being in the squad; clearly, there are high hopes that he will have an involvement with Indian cricket for a long time. Coming on these tours, where he will have the opportunity to play more and more. It will make him a better cricketer.”
While talking about the hectic cricketing schedule, he added “As a player, you want to play three formats, but it brings challenges with the high volume of cricket. I, too, will have to pick and choose to stay afresh and keep that balance intact. The volume of cricket is a challenge not only for cricketers but the support staff as well. You play a game every two or three days. You do see around the world, teams have different squads for different formats. You always try to balance it out and ensure the guys are fresh before every series.”
