As FIFA fever rages, Team India members play footvolley with New Zealand players ahead of 1st T20I

On Friday India's first Twenty20 International against New Zealand was called off due to continuous rain in Wellington. India and New Zealand were poised to square off in the Sky Stadium for their first match following their T20 World Cup campaign.

With nothing else to do in their free time, players from both teams decided to create their own version of New Zealand vs India by playing an indoor version of footvolley to keep themselves warm in case the game took place.

WATCH: 

#TeamIndia and New Zealand team enjoy a game of footvolley as we wait for the rain to let up.#NZvIND pic.twitter.com/8yjyJ3fTGJ

— BCCI (@BCCI) November 18, 2022

The Indian team entered the series without the services of their top three batsmen, KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli. The team is also missing India's head coach, Rahul Dravid.

Hardik Pandya leads the team, which includes Chahal, Ishan Kishan, Shubman Gill, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umran Malik, and Arshdeep Singh, among others. VVS Laxman, the head of the National Cricket Academy, is in charge of this tour to New Zealand.

India enters this series fresh off a semi-final loss to England in the T20 World Cup. Before India's home season begins in 2023, the selectors have indicated that they will rotate the squad and evaluate their bench strength.

IND vs NZ T20I Series Schedule

1st T20I, November 18 at the Sky Stadium in Wellington. (Called off)

2nd T20I, November 20 at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui. (12 PM IST)

3rd T20I, November 22 at Mclean Park in Napier. (12 PM IST)

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