India Test skipper Shubman Gill is looking forward to the two-Test series against New Zealand. He will be taking five net bowlers on the tour, with all expenses to be covered by the captain himself. 

While the Indian Cricket Board also arranges net bowlers to help the national team during the overseas bilateral assignments, it is the first instance of an India player shelling out from his own pocket to take bowlers for training purposes.

"This is interesting as Gill is not playing India A Tests, considering his association with the ODI team. He will leave for New Zealand on October 23 or 24. He will bear the expenses of the bowlers accompanying him," a BCCI official told PTI on condition of anonymity.

In his first Test series as captain, Gill accumulated 754 runs in England. The conditions in New Zealand will test him, and the Indian batters haven't been able to dominate the Kiwi bowlers.

The schedule is tight, and Gill would only lead India in the first three ODIs, considering the importance of the red-ball matches. The sub-continent nation will have to win both games in order to keep their WTC Final hopes alive. 

India A will play three Tests against New Zealand A, but Gill is not part of the squad. However, the early arrival will allow him to get used to the conditions and work on his game ahead of the five-day games.

The right-handed batter, who didn't play Punjab's opening game in the Ranji Tropjhy 20206-27, will return to the starting XI for the second fixture against Chhattisgarh, beginning on October 18 in Mullanpur.

The match will give him an opportunity to get red-ball match exposure before he travels to New Zealand, where his form with the bat and captaincy will be crucial for the Indian National Cricket Team.