Asianet NewsableAsianet Newsable

IND vs NZ 2022-23: Wellington T20I abandoned due to rain; forecast not promising for Mount Maunganui

IND vs NZ 2022-23: The T20I series opener between India and New Zealand in Wellington was called off due to steady rain without a bowled ball. Also, the forecast for Mount Maunganui is not good either.

India vs New Zealand, IND vs NZ 2022-23: Wellington/1st T20I abandoned due to rain; forecast not promising for Mount Maunganui-ayh
Author
First Published Nov 18, 2022, 3:29 PM IST

The first Twenty20 International (T20I) of the three-match series between India and New Zealand was abandoned without a ball being bowled. The constant rain made the ground unplayable on Friday at the Wellington Regional Stadium. The rain did cease for some time before returning at full force. It persisted in pouring throughout the venue. The contest was finally called off at 8.52 PM local time, about an hour less than the cut-off time of 9:46 PM for a five-over-a-side game. India is scheduled to play a couple more T20Is, followed by three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) as part of its tour of New Zealand.

Both sides had come after their ouster from the semi-final stage of the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia. While India succumbed to eventual two-time champion England, New Zealand was trounced by Pakistan. In the absence of regular captain Rohit Sharma, prime all-rounder Hardik Pandya leads the Men in Blue T20I side, with wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant serving as the vice-captain.

ALSO READ: 'Comparison with Akram is putting Arshdeep under a lot of pressure' - Rhodes

Besides Rohit, star batter Virat Kohli and wicketkeeper-opener KL Rahul have also been given a break for the tour. Shubman Gill, Umran Malik, Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson have been given an opportunity, as senior players have been relaxed. The whole coaching staff, including head coach Rahul Dravid, has also been given leave.

National Cricket Academy (NCA) chief VVS Laxman has been appointed the stand-in Indian coach for the tour. The subsequent T20I will be played at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on Sunday, while the forecast for it is not encouraging either, with a 90% chance of rain.

(With inputs from PTI)

Follow Us:
Download App:
  • android
  • ios