[WATCH] IND vs NZ 2026: Jitesh Sharma hugs Sanju Samson, greets teammates in Nagpur

The Men in Blue’s training sessions are buzzing with anticipation ahead of the first T20I against New Zealand on Wednesday, with the hosts checking in to their Nagpur hotel for the series opener. Meanwhile, wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma, who has been dropped from the squad ahead of the series, made a special visit to meet and greet the team in his hometown, Nagpur. 

In visuals doing the rounds on social media, the Amravati-born was seen going up to his former Rajasthan Royals teammate Sanju Samson and sharing a heartfelt hug. The duo were seen sharing a laugh as they greeted each other. The 32-year-old also met other members of the squad, including captain Suryakumar Yadav.

Watch the video here

Ahead of the first game, several key players, including Samson, skipper Suryakumar, Ishan Kishan, Rinku Singh, and Ravi Bishnoi, took time out for a jungle safari at Pench Tiger Reserve, soaking in some downtime and laughter together before the series kicks off.

India will look to build momentum in the opening clash on Wednesday, as this series will be their last assignment before the marquee event. The team is already at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Jamtha and gearing up for the opening encounter. 

The Men in Blue will look to bounce back after a disappointing 2-1 loss to the visitors in the ODI series. 

Wasn’t aware of my omission: Jitesh on being dropped from T20 squad 

In an exclusive chat with CricTracker earlier in the month, the wicketkeeper-batter, who played match-winning knocks for RCB in IPL 2025, opened up on his omission from India’s T20 squad ahead of the five-match series and the subsequent T20 World Cup 2026, stating that he was not informed about the same by the selectors. 

"I wasn’t aware of my omission until the squad was announced. After that, I agreed with the explanation given by the selectors in the press conference; it was a valid reason. Later, I had discussions with the coaches and selectors, and I felt their reasoning was fair. I completely understood what they wanted to explain to me, and I agreed with it," he said.

The 32-year-old has played 16 T20I matches for India, scoring 162 runs at an impressive strike rate of 151.4, mostly batting in the death overs.