“Martin (Guptill) has been ruled out of the series because of a back injury. We have a different squad altogether with some new faces. We are going to see some debutants throughout the series and it is really exciting, It’s a positive thing that a number of guys are getting opportunities to have those experiences against a fantastic Indian side,” the Kiwi skipper said on the eve of the opening T20, reported PTI.

With Martin Guptill already out of the squad due to a back injury, Williamson didn't rule out any possibility of him batting up the order. When asked about what the opening combination might look like in the absence of flamboyant batsman he said, "At this stage, we are going to look at the surface, we are not decided just yet. We are looking to pin down the balance. There are a number of all-rounders which will affect the positions I suppose. There are a number of guys who could potentially fill that role(opening). Obviously (Colin)Munro is expected in the top-three. Power players could potentially move up the order or it could be me”.

When asked about how things differ going in the mega event this year and playing T20 cricket against a good side like India, Williamson explained, “Obviously it is the shorter version of what we can expect in the World Cup but it is another great opportunity to play international cricket against what is a very strong opposition. Any time you get opportunities to have those experiences it’s always good. It’s (World Cup) not that far away now. Any opportunity you get to play in international cricket is beneficial. It’s (T20s) still an important fixture especially against a competitive side like India. So, I think all the people involved in the series will get a lot out of it.”