IND vs NZ: Team India is scheduled to tour New Zealand in October, where the Indian cricket team will play five ODIs, five T20Is, and two Test matches. Due to the ICC ODI World Cup 2027, all eyes will be on the ODI series. Furthermore, this will be the last tour of New Zealand for Team India’s legendary batsmen, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Consequently, the ODI series will be special for fans. New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner has issued a significant statement, issuing an open challenge to Rohit and Virat.
Mitchell Santner spoke about Ro-Co
Former Indian captains Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are currently preparing for the 2027 ICC ODI World Cup. The New Zealand tour will be crucial for both of them. Speaking about the tour, New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner said in an interview with PTI, “It will be a challenge. We’ve seen for a long time that both of them are still very good players and experts in ODI cricket. In the past, they have found some New Zealand pitches quite appealing. Hopefully, that won’t be the case this time.”
All 1.4 billion Indians are watching this five-match ODI series. It’s equally important for the New Zealand cricket team. Speaking about it, Santner said, “There’s no doubt that this will be a fantastic series. It’s part of the preparations for next year’s ODI World Cup. With limited matches, every team is trying to find its best combination for the World Cup.”
VIDEO | New Zealand Captain Mitchell Santner says India’s new-look Test side could face a challenge adapting to New Zealand conditions, with the two-Test series scheduled for November. He said the pitches could offer more assistance than Indian conditions and highlighted India’s… pic.twitter.com/tgaXFBuiIA
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 7, 2026
Santner also spoke about preparations for the World Cup
The New Zealand team also wants to win the ODI World Cup. This tournament will be very important for their team as well. Speaking about this, Kiwi captain Mitchell Santner said, “Our first goal is to win the series against India at home. This will be a great achievement for us. After that, the focus will be on developing the right team combination for the World Cup by October next year.”
Speaking about the challenge for the Indian team, Santner added, “As we’ve discussed before, the most important thing is to adapt quickly to the conditions. For the newcomers of the Indian team, this could be their first experience playing red-ball cricket in New Zealand. The pitches here will be new to them and may offer more assistance to the bowlers than in India.”