New Zealand and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) paceman Kyle Jamieson feels playing for Virat Kohli’s franchise in the UAE leg of the Indian Premier League (IPL) certainly gives him a ‘head-start’ going into the ICC T20 World Cup. New Zealand start their T20 World Cup campaign against Pakistan in their Super 12s match at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on October 26.


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The Kiwis play India three days later at the Dubai International Stadium. Jamieson, who will feature in the IPL 2021 in September and October, wants to have some good practice to fine-tune his T20 skillsets ahead of the World Cup. “It certainly gives us, (and) me a little bit of a head-start in terms of getting used to those conditions and those grounds,” ESPNcricinfo quoted Jamieson as saying.


“It’s nice to have a block of T20 cricket going into the World Cup and, like I said, just a good chance to practice some T20 skillsets in the venues we’re going to be playing on,” he added.


Talking about learnings from the first half of IPL 2021, the New Zealand pacer said, “I think it was good to have the first block of T20 cricket and, I guess, you are constantly reviewing that and try and see what the plans are at certain stages of the game, certain conditions, different grounds, different batters.


“I guess there’s no specifics around that sort of stuff. But just being involved around T20 cricket for a period of time, sort of, allows you to get into that sort of a mode,” he added.


Apart from former champions India and Pakistan, New Zealand also have to contend with Afghanistan and two qualifiers from Round 1 in Group 2 of the Super 12 stage.


On his first tour to India, Jamieson adapted to the sluggish Chennai conditions, bowling off-cutter, and leg-cutters into the pitch to restrict the opposition.


(with agency inputs)