India’s T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav featured in a light-hearted moment during a training session ahead of the five-match T20I series against Latest 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 project.
Within the clip, all-rounder Hardik Pandya was seen going after the massive shots within the nets. After Pandya launched a towering six that landed within the second tier of the stadium, Yadav reacted in awe, while head coach Gautam Gambhir was also spotted applauding the trouble.
Suryakumar then playfully teased his fellow Mumbaikar Shivam Dube, gesturing towards the space Pandya had cleared and seemingly encouraging Dube to raised it with even greater 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 tackle Latest Zealand ⚡️ #INDvNZ | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/RSE2DXLFXA
— BCCI (@BCCI) January 20, 2026
India Suffer 2–1 ODI Series Defeat Against Latest Zealand
India suffered a 2–1 defeat within the three-match ODI series that served as a lead-up to the T20Is. Although the hosts claimed a four-wicket victory within the opening game at Vadodara, they were comprehensively outplayed by Latest Zealand within the remaining two encounters. Within the second ODI at Rajkot, the Kiwis comfortably chased down India’s total of 284, doing so with only three wickets lost.
Within the third ODI at Indore, Latest Zealand sealed a 41-run victory after India fell short while chasing a difficult goal of 338. Because of this, the visitors head into the T20I series brimming with confidence, though each teams will feature different personnel within the shorter format.
Latest 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 can depend on the explosive Abhishek Sharma at the highest of the order.
Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube are expected to supply power in the center overs, while Jasprit Bumrah will spearhead the bowling attack. Nevertheless, middle-order batter Tilak Varma has been ruled out of the primary three matches as a result of injury.
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