New Zealand T20I captain Mitchell Santner has expressed caution ahead of the five-match T20I series opener against India in Christchurch on Thursday. Indian pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar is making his return to national duty after nearly four years, and Santner believes the swing bowler will find local conditions very favorable.
"I think Bhuvi will love these conditions in New Zealand. If there's anything in the wicket, he'll find something out of it," Santner said on the eve of the match. He highlighted that Bhuvneshwar will pose a major challenge with the new ball, comparing local tracks with flat, high-scoring pitches in India.
As per UC Cricket data, Bhuvneshwar has taken 90 wickets in 88 T20Is for India with an average of 23.1. Santner also acknowledged the threat posed by India's top order, confirming that the hosts have made specific bowling plans for 15-year-old batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
