IND vs NZ T20: Match called off due to heavy showers; here’s what Pandya, Williamson said

Cricket fans got disappointed after persistent showers forced the officials to abandon the first T20I between India and New Zealand. The game was called off without even the toss.

Now, all eyes are on the second match, which will be played in Mount Maunganui on Sunday. The weather is assumingly good there as compared to Wellington.

As part of their New Zealand tour, the ‘Men in Blue’ will face off against the ‘Black Caps’ in three ODIs in addition to the T20Is.

Both teams are facing each other following their exits from the semifinal stage of the T20 World Cup in Australia. India lost to England, who eventually clinched the T20 WCup 2022 trophy. The ‘Black Caps’ were defeated by Pakistan.

'Quite quick after a major event, we’ve had a whole heap of T20 cricket in the past. We’re quite excited to play India irrespective though. Most teams gear up towards major events that are not too far away, and the ODI format will now be a great opportunity for guys to come in. I'm sure there will be plenty of opportunities for guys to shine. We’ll have to wait and see what surfaces present us, and we need to adjust. But it is about getting better, especially in the knockout matches. The likes of Adam Milne were in the T20 World Cup squad but didn’t get an opportunity, so this is a good time to get them some game time. (On Indian squad) I’ve got no doubt they all will be big players for India, I’ve seen them all in the IPL. They’ve got great quality irrespective of the names they put out. (On World Cup semi-final defeat) We’ll start fresh, this is a new series both sides are looking forward to. We both wanted to get to the final, but we’ve got a week to rest and get ourselves ready for this. (On Mount Maunganui) It is usually sunny out there, with a bit of rain. Hopefully we get a full house,' said Kane Williamson after the announcement.

"Boys were quite excited to play. NZ is a great country, great place to play. Unfortunate to not get a game. A lot of people came quite early as well, we were excited but this is something we as professional cricketers need to accept. I know the other boys will follow exactly what the management and captain would say, they are all professionals. These guys are young by age, but not by experience. They have played plenty of IPL and got good amount of Internationals as well. I think the youngsters of today don’t get intimidated by not having played too much cricket. If the situation demands, me and the more experienced players will play different roles, but this tour is for the new guys to get more clarity, opportunities and a chance to express themselves. The World Cup is done, I’ve left it behind. The disappointment will be there, but we can’t go back and change things. We’re now looking forward to this series," said Hardik Pandya.