Shreyas Iyer’s Team India will begin a five-match T20I series against New Zealand at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Thursday.
Published: October 20, 2026, 11:19 AM IST
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New Zealand pacer Jacob Duffy was part of Virat Kohli’s RCB in IPL 2026 season(Photo: ANI)
India vs New Zealand 2026 1st T20: Black Caps pacer Jacob Duffy has had an incredible 2026 so far, which includes the birth of his daughterDuffy went onto play in the T20 World Cup 2026 final followed by the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 final in space of just three monthsHe will face off against his ‘teammate’ Bhuvneshwar Kumar when the five-match T20I series between India and New Zealand gets underway at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Thursday.
Duffy spoke to the media after the training session at the Hagley Oval on Tuesday morning, opening up on his stint with IPL 2026 winners Royal Challengers Bengaluru“I played with Bhuvaneshwar KumarHe’s one of the great humans out there, obviously very skilful as wellSo we got Josh Hazelwood, guys like that, you know, obviously playing for RCB, you’re training with Virat (Kohli), Jacob Bethell, Phil Salt, day in, day out and you’re just training some of the best,” Duffy told the media in Christchurch.
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“I have been picking Bhuvi’s brains around slower balls and yorkersBut it’s actually just getting feedback from Virat (Kohli) or Phil (Salt) about what they’re seeing, what their game plans, tactics, lines, lengths, all that kind of stuff on a daily basis,” the 32-year-old added.
Let’s get ready to rumble!
The Hero VIDA T20I Series, Powered by AI+ Smartphone against India starts this Thursday at Hagley Oval!
#NZvIND https://t.co/2jgjKOgtx7
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) October 19, 2026
Bhuvneshwar Kumar was the leading wicket-taker for RCB in the IPL 2026 season with 28 wickets in 16 matchesHe has finally earned a recall into the Indian team and is expected to bowl for the first time after 4 years in international cricket.
The Uttar Pradesh pacer had returned to international cricket in the fifty T20I match against West Indies in Bengaluru, but didn’t get a chance to bowl as it was washed out by rain last weekDuffy, who was bought for Rs 2 crore by Kohli’s RCB at the IPL 2026 auction, called Bhuvneshwar and South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada as the two best bowlers in the T20 league.
“The IPL is obviously, you know, with the impact sub and those pitches and grounds, that’s got to be the hardest place in the world to bowlI think Bhuvneshwar and probably Rabada are two obviously best bowlers in the whole tournament.
“You know, he’s (Bhuvi) not the fastest guy in the world, but he’s so skilfulObviously, he swings the ball, he hits an immaculate length and reads batters very well and he’s got the skills to change it up too,” Duffy said about Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi strikes it hard and does it so consistently: Jacob Duffy
Shreyas Iyer’s Team India had defeated New Zealand in the T20 World Cup 2026 final to clinch back-to-back world titlesThey will be coming to New Zealand on the back of a 2-2 draw in the five-match T20I series against West Indies at home.
“I think they’re (India) a very good teamThey’ve always traditionally travelled very well as well, IndiaI’ve played them a lot, but it’s been all in IndiaSo I’m very much looking forward to getting them in our conditions where we’re a little bit comfierIndia is always going to be very strong no matter where they play in the world,” Duffy said.
The New Zealand pacer, who had picked up 62 wickets in 48 matches in T20I cricket at an average of 20.25, is looking forward to the challenge of facing 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
“First of all, he’s (Vaibhav Sooryavanshi) an incredible talentObviously, he’s taken the IPL by stormWhat’s amazing is he strikes it so hard but he does it so consistentlyHe’s striking at 250 every game and he’s not missing out very oftenSo that’s incredible in itself.
“Conditions will be a little bit different for himThat’s obviously one thing for him to be challenged withWe’ve certainly had a good scouting session on him and certainly got our plans as to what we want to do to him,” Duffy said about Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
