India’s T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav featured in a light-hearted moment during a training session ahead of the five-match T20I series against New Zealand, as seen in a video shared by the BCCI on X. The incident took place in Nagpur on Tuesday, January 20, with the team gearing up for the upcoming assignment.
In the clip, all-rounder Hardik Pandya was seen going after the big shots in the nets. After Pandya launched a towering six that landed in the second tier of the stadium, Yadav reacted in awe, while head coach Gautam Gambhir was also spotted applauding the effort.
Suryakumar then playfully teased his fellow Mumbaikar Shivam Dube, gesturing towards the distance Pandya had cleared and seemingly encouraging Dube to better it with even bigger hits.
“Arre, Dube! Ye toh second tier pe maar diya (Oh, Dube! He – has hit it into the second tier),” said Yadav.
Sound On 🔊
Dialling up the intensity as #TeamIndia steps into T20I mode to take on New Zealand ⚡️ #INDvNZ | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/RSE2DXLFXA
— BCCI (@BCCI) January 20, 2026
India Suffer 2–1 ODI Series Defeat Against New Zealand
India suffered a 2–1 defeat in the three-match ODI series that served as a lead-up to the T20Is. Although the hosts claimed a four-wicket victory in the opening game at Vadodara, they were comprehensively outplayed by New Zealand in the remaining two encounters. In the second ODI at Rajkot, the Kiwis comfortably chased down India’s total of 284, doing so with only three wickets lost.
In the third ODI at Indore, New Zealand sealed a 41-run victory after India fell short while chasing a challenging target of 338. As a result, the visitors head into the T20I series brimming with confidence, even though both teams will feature different personnel in the shorter format.
New Zealand appear to boast a seasoned lineup under the leadership of Mitchell Santner, with the likes of Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway, Glenn Phillips and Daryl Mitchell strengthening their batting core. India, meanwhile, are led by Suryakumar Yadav and will rely on the explosive Abhishek Sharma at the top of the order.
Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube are expected to provide power in the middle overs, while Jasprit Bumrah will spearhead the bowling attack. However, middle-order batter Tilak Varma has been ruled out of the first three matches due to injury.
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