New Zealand captain Williamson to miss India T20 series

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson will sit out this week’s T20 series against India to focus on the Test series beginning in nine days’ time, the Black Caps said as they confirmed their squads on Tuesday.

The talismanic batsman has been in blazing form, hitting 85 off just 48 balls in Sunday’s T20 World Cup final in Dubai against Australia which the Black Caps lost by eight wickets.

The 31-year-old arrived with the squad in Jaipur on Monday with the first of three T20s taking place on Wednesday.

But Williamson has joined the Test specialist group to focus on red-ball preparation, New Zealand Cricket said.

Paceman Tim Southee will captain the T20 side for the matches in Jaipur on Wednesday, Ranchi on Saturday and Kolkata on Sunday. Lockie Ferguson, who is recovering from a right calf-strain, is expected to be fit for the series.

The two-Test series begins Kanpur on November 25. The second Test is in Mumbai from December 3.

India Test skipper Virat Kohli will also be rested for the Twenty20 games.

The players are likely to have to contend with high levels of air pollution across northern India for the tour, particularly in Jaipur and Kanpur.

New Zealand Twenty20 squad: Tim Southee (capt), Todd Astle, Trent Boult, Mark Chapman, Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Kyle Jamieson, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi.

New Zealand Test squad: Kane Williamson (capt), Tom Blundell, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Will Somerville, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Neil Wagner, Will Young.