Bowler Trent Boult knows exactly what to expect from the notoriously fervent crowd at Ahmedabad, when the Blackcaps take to the field for their World Cup opener against England.
In 2020, the veteran seamer was in the thick of the action in the Indian Premier League final at the same ground, where he helped power Mumbai Indians to the title in front of 132,000 frothing fans with a player-of-the-match performance.
"That's what you play for as a kid," said Boult, standing on the boundary of the cavernous Narendra Modi Stadium.
"You want to be on a stage like this, and then add the pressures and excitement of a World Cup, and it can't get any better.
"India is always an exciting place to come to play cricket. The passion and the following over here is next level."
The atmosphere probably won’t be as chaotic when the Kiwis head out to the middle against the reigning world champions. The two teams have become recently reacquainted with each other in a four-game one-day international series, won decisively 3-1 by England.
The series saw Boult make his long-awaited return to the international arena with the Blackcaps, after he gave up his centralised contract with NZ Cricket to pursue the lucrative Twenty20 cricuit.
Despite his absence, he remained available for pinnacle events, with the World Cup fitting firmly under the banner, and the Tauranga product insists another showdown with their rivals from that 2019 final couldn't be better scripted as a tournament opener.
"They're an opposition that we know very well. Obviously, we've got some great history there, with a wicked final dating back four years, but things have moved on.
"They're a great side, definitely a very well organised white-ball side. I can't think of a better way to start off the tournament."
Boult will open the bowling without regular cohort operating from the other end, as Tim Southee continues his recovery from thumb surgery and joins captain Kane Williamson in the stands.
Southee dislocated and fractured his thumb, while attempting to take a catch against England last month, but was cleared to join the team in India, after progressing well in his recovery.
Stand-in skipper Tom Latham says both are making great progress.
"He is recovering nicely," said Latham. "He's nearly two weeks post-surgery, so fingers crossed he can keep recovering.
"It's a bit of a day-by-day process with him in terms of what that looks like, but fingers crossed he'll be available sooner, rather than later as well."
Williamson's participation at the World Cup was thrown into doubt when he had surgery for a torn knee ligament in April, but he impressed with knocks of 54 and 37 in warm-up games against Pakistan and South Africa.
"It's great to see Kane back and to see him batting," said Latham. "It's like he never left, in terms of batting.
"It's great to see him moving really well too. He's playing all the shots he used to play.
"To see him back on the field is another steppingstone in terms of where he needs to get to in terms of his recovery."
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