India vs New Zealand 2022: Hardik Pandya says ‘road’ to T20 World Cup 2024 begins, days after semifinals loss

Team India crashed out of the T20 World Cup 2022 last Thursday (November 10) after a stunning 10-wicket loss to eventual champions England. Now days later, the Indian cricket team will need to start afresh against fellow T20 World Cup 2022 semifinalists New Zealand as they get ready to compete in a three-match T20I series followed by same number of ODIs.

Stand-in T20I skipper Hardik Pandya on Wednesday (November 16) said the road map for T20 World Cup 2024 starts now, adding that going forward a lot of players will be given chances to stake their claim in the side. Pandya, who will be leading India in the three-match T20I series against New Zealand, starting Friday (November 20), said the team needs to overcome from their World Cup failure.

“Yes, we all know there is disappointment of the World Cup but we are professionals and we need to cope with it. How we cope with our success we cope up with our failures and move forward and look forward to get better rectify our mistakes,” Pandya told reporters in the pre-match press conference on Wednesday.

The next T20 World Cup will be played in 2024 in the West Indies and United States and the Indian squad is expected to undergo a major transition in the next two years with the likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma among others being gradually eased out of the set up. “Yes, the next T20 WC is almost two years so we have time (to unearth new talent). A lot of cricket will be played and a lot of people will get enough chances.

“The road map starts from now. But it’s too fresh right now. We have a lot of time so we will sit down and have conversations on those grounds,” Pandya said.

“Right now it’s making sure that the boys enjoy playing here. We will talk about the future later,” he added.

How's that for a Trophy unveil! _ _#TeamIndia | #NZvIND

_ Courtesy: @PhotosportNZ pic.twitter.com/qTazPXpr3R — BCCI (@BCCI) November 16, 2022

The white-ball tour of New Zealand that includes three T20Is and as many ODIs will not feature Kohli, Rohit, opener KL Rahul, keeper-batter Dinesh Karthik and veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin as all have been rested as part of ‘workload management of players’. In their absence, the likes of Shubman Gill, Umran Malik, Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson have been given a chance and Pandya says it will be an important series for them in the grand scheme of things.

“The main boys are not here but the same time the talent which the guys who are already here, they have also been playing for one and-a-half, two years now,” he said. “They have had ample chances and enough time in international cricket to express themselves and show what they have. Very excited for them, new bunch of guys, new energy and excitement.

“Every series is important. You can’t play an international game thinking its not important. Yes World Cup is there but that's a different format, it’s 50 overs. But it is an important series for a lot of boys who if they eventually do well here will be able to put a strong case going forward.”

(with PTI inputs)