The Hardik Pandya-led Men in Blue received a traditional Maori welcome after their arrival at Mount Maunganui on Saturday ahead of the second T20I against New Zealand which will be played on Sunday (November 20).
A Maori welcoming ceremony involves speeches, dancing, singing and the hongi in the end.
The visitors received a Maori powhiri from Ngai Tukairangi and Ngati Kuku, the manawhenua for the Bay Oval area on the ground and the squad enjoyed the warm and fun-filled session.
The BCCI tweeted about the traditional welcome the side received at Mount Maunganui.
While Kuldeep Yadav posted the video from the welcoming ceremony, Indian batter Shreyas Iyer got goosebumps seeing the traditional dance as he shared a clip on his Instagram story.
Seeking some game time, the Indian team is expected to face a tough challenge from New Zealand in the second T20 International on Sunday.
The series-opener in Wellington was abandoned due to inclement weather and the Indian players are looking for some action in the second game, though the forecast is not too great.
The rain is predicted in Mount Maunganui as well and all the stakeholders will for it to subside for the duration of the match as no one will want another washout.
A lot of senior players, such as Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin, are not part of the touring party.
India's squad: Hardik Pandya (captain), Rishabh Pant (vc and wk), Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan (wk), Deepak Hooda, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umran Malik, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh.
New Zealand's squad: Kane Williamson (captain), Devon Conway, Finn Allen, Glenn Phillips, Devon Cinway, Daryl Mitchell, Adam Milne, Michael Bracewll, Ish Sodhi, Mitchell Santner, Lockie Ferguson, Tim Southee, Blair Tickner.
