Santner warns of ODI and Test hurdles for India on New Zealand tour

Ahead of India's October-November tour, New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner emphasized that the presence of ODI veterans Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will make the five-match series a significant challenge, given their comfort with New Zealand wickets. He stressed that winning the home series remains the primary goal before fine-tuning the squad for the upcoming World Cup. After the limited-overs fixtures, the focus will shift to two Tests in November, where many Indian players will face New Zealand pitches for the first time in red-ball cricket, requiring rapid adaptation.

Santner praised India's balanced squad, citing the potential return of Jasprit Bumrah alongside Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Ravindra Jadeja and Manav Suthar. He also explained the 10-2 split of white-ball and Test matches as a financial and scheduling decision, noting that the Tests still matter for World Test Championship points and will lead into a four-Test series in Australia. Additionally, Santner mentioned his role with the Edinburgh Castle Rockers in the European T20 Premier League, where the team is performing well.