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Can India's young guns fire in T20 series opener vs New Zealand?

Shreyas Iyer takes charge of an inexperienced Indian squad for a five-match T20 series against New Zealand, kicking off in Christchurch on Thursday. With barely two days of preparation following a long flight from home, the tourists must quickly adapt to brisk, seaming pitches, relying heavily on a batting lineup that features seasoned figures like Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson, and Shivam Dube alongside rising talents such as Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, and teenager Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.

Only four members of the visiting party have previous T20 international experience on New Zealand soil, adding to the challenge for Iyer as he aims to bounce back from earlier away losses in Ireland and England. Meanwhile, opposing skipper Mitchell Santner intends to exploit these familiar seam-friendly conditions by altering pitch strategies and utilizing his own power-hitters to trouble the visitors.

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