Head coach Rahul Dravid, Rohit Sharma and other Team India players arrive in Jaipur for 1st T20I against New Zealand

A new era is set to get underway in Indian cricket with the leadership group going under a revamp. Virat Kohli has stepped down as India’s T20I captain following the team’s ouster in the T20 World Cup 2021 and Rohit Sharma has taken over the charge. Also, Rahul Dravid has replaced Ravi Shastri as Team India’s head coach and he would be determined to take his side to glory.

Dravid’s first assignment is the home series against New Zealand which gets underway on November 17. Three T20Is and a couple of Test matches will be played in the series and the hosts would be raring to do well. After all, the Men in Blue endured a horrendous campaign in the global event. Having lost to Pakistan and New Zealand in their first two fixtures, the inaugural-edition champions couldn’t even cross the league stage.

Team India lands in Jaipur

Hence, they would somewhat like to redeem themselves by defeating the Kiwis at home. Meanwhile, Team India has landed in Jaipur for the first T20I which is scheduled to take place at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium. The likes of skipper Rohit Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Siraj, and even Rahul Dravid were clicked as they arrived at the Jaipur airport.

 

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A post shared by Mahendra Sharma (@mahendra_sharma_photography)

 

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A post shared by Mahendra Sharma (@mahendra_sharma_photography)

Meanwhile, several young faces have been drafted into the squad and they would be raring to make a mark. Not to forget, the next edition of the T20 World Cup is less than a year away. Hence, the Men in Blue have no time to relax down as they need to form a formidable squad before the gala tournament in Australia.

Players like Harshal Patel, Venkatesh Iyer, and Avesh Khan have received maiden call-ups thanks to their spectacular show in this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL). Ruturaj Gaikwad and Mohammad Siraj have also been awarded for stellar performances. Speaking of the exclusions, Hardik Pandya, who hasn’t bowled a lot lately, has been left out from the side.

While Shardul Thakur is another notable exclusion, Virat Kohli has been rested for the T20I matches. Notably, New Zealand are the finalists of the T20 World Cup, and defeating them would take some beating. Hence, India must leave no stones unturned in their preparations.