“You need to give opportunities to players” – Dinesh Karthik on New Zealand tour

Dinesh Karthik feels the team management should give ample opportunities to youngsters to see how they perform on the big stage during the New Zealand tour as Team India transition into a new phase in T20I cricket.

With senior players rested, only eight of 16 players in India's T20I squad for New Zealand were part of the recently concluded T20 World Cup. The 'new' faces — Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, Sanju Samson, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Umran Malik — will be keen to make an impact in the series.

Speaking to Cricbuzz, Karthik said:

“The context for this series is more about understanding individuals and giving them opportunities. So, that would, in return, mean that they try and speak to what their ideas were before the start of this game, and I am pretty sure that whatever they decided as XI would still be the same XI going into this game as well."

He continued:

“You need to give opportunities to players. I think you would definitely see a bit of rotation. I understand that there are two T20Is now, not a lot to play for, but you would understand if they give opportunities to quite a few guys to perform in international cricket.”

Karthik labelled New Zealand the most consistent team in ICC tournaments this decade. He, however, feels that they fare differently in bilateral games, unlike in multi-national events.

“They are a side that always punches a little above their weight, especially in knockout tournaments. In bilaterals, they are probably not the same force that they are in an ICC tournament. They very well know how to perform in ICC tournaments."

He added:

"They kind of come together as a unit and do well, and they have been the most consistent team in ICC tournaments this decade. I think they have been finalists or semi-finalists almost everywhere and went on to win the inaugural World Test Championship.”

For those not in the know, New Zealand were the runners-up in the last two ODI World Cups (2015 and 2019) and the 2021 T20 World Cup.

They also reached the semifinal of the 2022 T20WC. They won the inaugural edition of the World Test Championship by beating India in the final in Southampton, England, last year.

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“There will be few who might just join that league as well” – Parthiv Patel on Trent Boult's absence from New Zealand squad

Former Indian cricketer Parthiv Patel reckons several international players are likely to follow in the footsteps of New Zealand star pacer Trent Boult. Boult has decided to play limited games for his country and instead participate in T20 leagues around the world.

For the uninitiated, Boult is not participating in both ODI and T20I series against the Men in Blue. In August, he requested New Zealand cricket to release him from his central contract so that he could spend more time with family and participate in domestic leagues.

Speaking on the same show as Karthik, Patel said:

“They look a balanced side. Obviously, Boult has decided not to sign that New Zealand contract. He’s going to play T20 leagues in the world. So, that’s something which is a development, which was talked about and probably, there will be few who might just join that league as well.”

India squad for T20Is: Hardik Pandya (C), Rishabh Pant (vc & wk), Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan, Deepak Hooda, Surya Kumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Sanju Samson (wk), W Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Harshal Patel, Mohd. Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umran Malik

New Zealand's T20I squad: Kane Williamson (c), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Daryl Mitchell, Adam Milne, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Blair Tickner