Williamson to miss white-ball series against India, Southee named captain for first T20I
Nov 16, 2021
Jaipur (Rajasthan) [India], November 16 : New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson will miss the upcoming three-match T20I series against India which gets underway from Wednesday.
"Blackcaps captain Kane Williamson will miss this week's three-game T20 series against India as he prioritises preparing for the Test series starting on November 25 in Kanpur," New Zealand Cricket (NZC) said in a statement.
Less than 24 hours after falling to Australia in the ICC T20 World Cup Final in Dubai, Williamson and the 15-strong T20 squad arrived in Jaipur on Monday evening ahead of the G.J. Gardner Homes Tour of India.
NZC said with the opening game of the T20 series on Wednesday evening, followed by games on Friday and Sunday night - the decision was made for Williamson to join the Test specialist group already training in Jaipur as they focus on red-ball preparation.
Fellow dual squad member Tim Southee will captain the T20 side for the opening game on Wednesday, while Kyle Jamieson, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, and Mitchell Santner are also available for both series.
"Lockie Ferguson's recovery from a right calf-strain continues to progress well and he is expected to be available for the T20 series," NZC added.
India and New Zealand will lock horns in the T20I series from Wednesday.
