[WATCH] Team India Cricketers Get A Traditional ‘Powhiri’ Welcome In Mount Maunganui

Team India received a traditional Maori welcome after their arrival at Mount Maunganui before the second T20I against New Zealand. The Men in Blue led by Hardik Pandya are locking horns with the Kiwis in a three-match T20I series, the first of which was abandoned without a ball being bowled.

The tourists received a Maori powhiri from Ngai Tukairangi and Ngati Kuku, the manawhenua for the Bay Oval area on the ground. The squad looked in good mood and enjoyed the warm and fun-filled session.

Incidentally, a Maori powhiri welcoming ceremony generally involves speeches, dancing, singing and the hongi in the end. It is used to welcome guests onto a marae and during other ceremonies.

The @BCCI team were welcomed with a Māori pōwhiri by the local Iwi upon arrival at @BayOvalOfficial yesterday.

The local Iwi who conducted the ceremony represent all three local iwi; Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Pūkenga and Ngāti Ranginui.

📸 Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media pic.twitter.com/bMb0jxNnoP

— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) November 19, 2022

Aakash Chopra picks India’s playing XI for 2nd T20I

Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has picked his preferred Indian XI for the second T20I against New Zealand. He opined that wicketkeeper-batters Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan should open the innings, while Rishabh Pant should bat at No.3 if India want to play an aggressive brand of cricket.

“If you ask me honestly, I will make Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson open,” Chopra said on his Youtube channel. “I will still not get Rishabh Pant to open, for the simple reason that Rishabh Pant’s T20 numbers for the last one to one-and-a-half years are not that good. He doesn’t open for his franchise also and bats down the order.

“You can play either Shreyas Iyer or Rishabh Pant at No. 3. If you have to go totally dynamic, then play Rishabh Pant here, Shreyas Iyer will again take his time. Then Suryakumar Yadav at No. 4, Hardik Pandya at No. 5, and I will play Deepak Hooda at No. 6,” he added. 

The second game of the three-match series will be played at Mount Maunganui on Sunday, November. 20

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