'Focused on matches against NZ'

Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni insisted that the two Twenty20 matches against the New Zealand, starting with the first tie here on Saturday, would not be viewed as preparations for the forthcoming World T20 in Sri Lanka, beginning on September 18.

“Well, I think every game is important,” said the Jharkhandi during a pre-match press conference on Friday. “They (the games) don’t become important just because the T20 World Cup is coming up. According to us, every game is important. It’ll be an opportunity to get into the groove ahead of the World Cup. As of now, the matches against New Zealand are all that we are focussed on,” he said.

Dhoni ruled out any experiments with the line-up. “This team is the same team which is going for the World T20 so the best eleven will feature in the team suitably. We are not willing to experiment with the line-up. We will stick to the best team in the best interest of the team,” said the 31-year-old.

Talking about the pitch, the Ranchi cricketer said: “The wicket looks good which means there will be something for the bowlers. The ball should come on to the bat nicely so the batsmen can also play their strokes.”

New Zealand might not have impressed during the Tests but they could be a dangerous forces in the T20s, and the visitors hold a 3-0 advantage over the Indians in this format.

“We need to stick to our game plan,” said Dhoni when asked if he was wary of the opposition. “We will keep working on the areas we have been poor at like death overs… We are not thinking too much about the opposition.”