India ODIs, T20Is perfect preparation for T20 World Cup 2026: New Zealand's Kyle Jamieson
Jan 06, 2026
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 6 : New Zealand pacer Kyle Jamieson said New Zealand's tour of India will come as a good preparation for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026, which is also set to be played in India, along with Sri Lanka.
New Zealand are set to play three ODIs followed by five T20Is against India from January 11 to 31. Following the T20Is, both teams will compete at the T20 World Cup 2026, which is set to get underway on February 7.
Ahead of the first India vs New Zealand ODI, Kyle Jamieson said the Kiwis are using the series as ideal preparation for the 2026 T20 World Cup, with the focus on being as ready as possible to compete for the title. He highlighted that playing high-quality cricket against strong opposition in India, spending extended time in local conditions, and adjusting to factors like climate and time zones will help the team prepare well for the tournament.
"That's what we all plan and prepare and train for, to have a good chance of trying to win the World Cup. So we're no different to every other team. You try to come as best prepared as possible and try your best to have a good result," Jamieson told reporters on Tuesday.
"It's perfect, you probably couldn't ask for a better sort of preparation right in terms of having really good cricket against a high-quality opposition in the conditions you're going to play in. So yeah, it's great for us. It's nice to spend a month here before the World Cup. To get used to conditions, get used to the different time zone, the temperatures, all that stuff that you know that comes with playing cricket in this country. So yeah, certainly looking forward to it," he added.
All-rounder Daryl Mitchell, on the other hand, said the team values staying focused on the present, prioritising the ongoing ODI series and the upcoming T20 series against India, before turning their attention to the T20 World Cup.
"The T20 World Cup is always something you look forward to, but the strength of this group is that we focus on the now, and being where our feet are is a key value. So we'll focus on the ODI series first, and then we'll obviously go on to the T20 series against India. And then we'll look forward to the World Cup," Mitchell said.
