New Zealand Vs India 1st T20i 18 November 2022

1st T20I • Sky Stadium • Wellington

New Zealand

India

Match abandoned due to rain

Info

Fantasy

Live

Scorecard

Match has not started yet

Match Info

Date & Time

18 Nov, 12:00 PM IST

Venue

Sky Stadium, Wellington

Match

1st T20I,

India tour of New Zealand

Umpires

Chris Brown (New Zealand), Wayne Knights (New Zealand), Kim Cotton (New Zealand, TV)

Referee

Jeff Crowe (New Zealand)

Pitch Report

Batting friendly pitch.

Toss

Toss yet to take Place

Commentary

So that is that. Even the rain gods weren't ready to resume so quickly after such a short turnaround, by the looks of it. Everyone loves a little break, eh? So, the players and fans will have to wait a little while longer to see the Men in Blue in action once more. Of course, the next destination is Mount Maunganui and if there's one thing we can be sure about, is that the sun will be shining in the city of Tauranga. If you're frustrated and are craving more cricketing action though, you can hop over here to follow our coverage of the 'Sydney Smash' at the Women's Big Bash League 2022 that is just moments away from commencing. Of course, do stay tuned to Sportskeeda for all the other cricketing news and action from around the globe as well. For the moment though, thanking you for your patience over the last couple of hours or so is the duo of Pratyush Rohra and Sooryanarayanan Sesha. See you around soon - goodbye and wishing you a great weekend!

Match abandoned without the toss due to rain.

There was so much to look forward to today. Both the Blackcaps and India would have been keen to put the disappointment of their semifinal exits at the T20 World Cup behind them and head into a new direction. Contrasting squads of course, with the hosts retaining most of the pack from the T20 World Cup and India boasting a number of fresh faces. A lot of subplots, narratives and matchups that we were keen to see unfold. But alas, it'll have to wait a couple of days when the two teams move to Tauranga - the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui will host the 2nd T20I and we hope that the weather Gods relent over there so that we get a full game. It's been reduced in effect to a 2-match series now and neither team can afford to put a foot wrong on Sunday.

8:53 PM local time (1:23 PM IST): Our worst fears have been realized. The match has officially been abandoned due to relentless rain. We can't deny that we feared this was on the cards given how it was hosing down torrentially. But it's as frustrating a start to this potentially exciting T20I series as we could have asked for.

What's the weather looking like, you ask? Well, still not great, I'm afraid. Here's what the forecast looks like for the rest of the day.

IND vs NZ weather update: Wellington weather report on November 18 ahead of India vs New Zealand 1st T20I

Tim Southee: It's another opportunity to play a great opposition. Playing India is always a good opportunity. It's an opportunity to play for our country, so nothing changes. This Indian time has so much talent in the country that whatever side they put out, they're a great opposition. We're excited about it as well. He's (Boult) been a massive part of the side for a long period of time so it's strange not to have him around but it's an opportunity for the other guys. It is strange that one of our best players isn't with the side but it is what it is.

A reminder that the cutoff time for a 5-over contest is 9:46 PM local time (2:16 PM IST). Clearly into lost overs territory alright! In case you're wondering, the covers are very much in place over the pitch.

With India looking for a revamp of sorts after the T20 World Cup, this is an important series for the youngsters to step up and show what they're all about. Who will be five young players to watch out for? Have a look!

5 young stars to watch out for in the IND vs NZ T20I series

While we await further updates from Ground Zero, here's a read for you - there are some Indian stars were part of the just-concluded T20 World Cup who are also part of this T20I series. Needless to say, the scrutiny will be on a fair few of them - here's a read into three such players who will be under the spotlight! 👇

3 Indian T20 World Cup 2022 stars who will be in the spotlight during the New Zealand T20I series

#TeamIndia and New Zealand team enjoy a game of footvolley as we wait for the rain to let up.#NZvIND pic.twitter.com/8yjyJ3fTGJ
— BCCI (@BCCI) November 18, 2022

Ish Sodhi: It's always going to be a challenge with the short turnaround but that's the way cricket is. Playing a team like India is always exciting and that motivates us. (Bowling in New Zealand) I don't want to say it is easy because it's not. When you see the boundary sizes, you see why. (Partnership with Santner) We're experienced cricketers now and it's good to see we've got a partnership for a long time and hopefully, it goes on for longer. (Attacking role) I like to be more attacking but it doesn't mean you're performing. When Santner is having a good day, I try to attack or contain from the other end and it goes vice-versa as well. It's a funny one. You always get a bit of luck in T20s. The wicket doesn't help a lot but varying the lines is something that helps us a lot in these small grounds. Shukriya!

7:23 PM local time (11:53 AM IST): It's not just raining now. It's absolutely pelting down torrentially! I'm afraid this could end up having an impact on the overs as well. Nothing official of course, but it surely doesn't look good. Keep those fingers crossed!

Ah boo! The rain has returned. It could be that kind of day ahead of us folks! There was no rescheduled start time announced earlier but either way, the delay is on again. Keep your fingers crossed that it subsides and we get going soon folks!

Washington Sundar was interviewed a little while ago. Here's what he has to say: (Why doesn't he warm up with football?): It was a weird incident that happened 5-6 years ago. I played football in the warmups, got injured and broke my ankle. That day I told myself I'd never play football again. I can do a lot of things (instead of football) - I could run, do some sprints. I spend a lot of time doing some mobility, opening my shoulders and hips. I did spend a lot of time at the NCA, training over there, working on my body and my shoulders. The Lancashire stint was amazing. It gave me a lot of experience and it helped me understand myself. I've worked a lot of my body and my skills. A good couple of months after I got injured and I'm rearing to go. New Zealand is one of the most favorite places for me, one of the most favorite countries. Everything about NZ is very kind and sweet. Great for me to be here, especially making my comeback in this tour. Ever since we got here we spent a lot of time walking down the streets. We all love to do this, we get a lot of privacy over here and get to do whatever we want. Looking forward to a good couple of weeks.

The Indian players are out there warming up in the outfield. The signs are good in that aspect. But what about their playing XI? Who could potentially make the cut? We fancy a prediction!👇

Predicting India's playing 11 for the 1st T20I vs New Zealand

Want to hear some good news? The rain has stopped! A couple of players from the Blackcaps camp are out there with a rugby ball although the covers are still intact. Let's hope the rain doesn't return today though and we get a full game going at the earliest.

In the meantime, let's hear from a man who could make his T20I debut if we get a game going, Shubman Gill: I came here for the first time and played the U19 World Cup. I made my international debut here in the ODIs in 2019. Always nice to come back here and going to all the cities I've been here before. I have some really fond memories coming back to New Zealand. Whenever I get to know I'll be going to New Zealand it always brings a smile to my face. I've been able to execute a few things I've been working on. It always feels good when you're able to execute what you've been practising in the nets. Personally I've felt that hitting sixes is not about power but about timing, and meeting the ball in certain areas. If I'm getting it right I know I'll be able to hit sixes. It's not about me thinking about a four or a six, it's about being positive and score. As an opener the intent is to always look for runs. I want to play less dot balls and keep thinking of singles and doubles and not play more dot balls. I always wait and then swinging in line of the ball than swinging hard.