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India's tour of New Zealand pushed to late 2022 amid cramped schedule due to Covid-19: Report

WION Web Team
New Delhi, India Updated: Sep 16, 2021, 02:28 PM IST
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Twitter/@Blackcaps Photograph:(Twitter)

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The India tour of New Zealand has now been pushed until late 2022 due to the hosts' busy year-end schedule.

Team India's tour of New Zealand has now been pushed to late 2022 due to the cramped cricketing schedule. The Kane Williamson-led Black Caps were set to host India over the summer but the tour has been postponed and will now be held after the 2022 T20 World Cup, in Australia. 

For the unversed, the WTC finalists India and New Zealand were set to lock horns in a 3-ODI series, a part of the ODI World Cup Super League for the 2023 ODI World Cup. However, the calendar congestion -- with many series or tours still being postponed or cancelled in the wake of Covid-19 crisis -- has meant that the tour had to be pushed ahead. A New Zealand Cricket (NZC) spokesperson has confirmed the development while talking to stuff.co.nz.

Thus, the Kiwis will now be hosting Bangladesh, The Netherlands, and South Africa this season.  “We’ve got to be mindful of players coming back from a long winter and we’ve got to give them time at home as well,” NZC chief executive David White had told Stuff.

Nonetheless, while the tour has been postponed, there is no obstacle to India's home series versus New Zealand, which will be held this year after the T20 World Cup. Virat Kohli-led India will play hosts to the Blackcaps in November for two Tests and three T20Is.

India last toured New Zealand just before the Covid-19 crisis took over worldwide. Back then, Kohli & Co. whitewashed New Zealand in the 5 T20Is, but were clean swept in the preceding three ODIs and two Tests.