Speaking after the West Indies lost the final T20 by 17 runs on Sunday, Pollard said the tour was not a complete disaster.
“When you look at the games, it was definitely a close series but it just goes to show the fine line in international cricket in terms of the margins for error,” said Pollard.
“I thought the guys really put up their hands and gave a really good account of themselves so I don’t think we should feel disgraced by what has taken place.
"We’re not happy with losing but it is a work in progress. I’m very happy with the performances of some of the guys and we crack on. We have no international white-ball cricket for the next three months so we have time to find out what’s for the future.”
Among the players that Pollard was pleased with was his vice-captain Nicholas Pooran who starred with 184 runs in the three games.
“I thought Nicholas was outstanding. Three fifties in three games is fantastic for him and that’s the consistency that we ask for,” said Pollard.
Pollard’s Mumbai Indians teammate Suryakumar Yadav was India’s best batsman in the series with 107 runs in the three matches. The West Indies captain believes he is someone his batters should try to emulate.
“Surya is a world-class player. I’ve had the opportunity to play a lot of years with him so it’s great to see that he has grown well and is doing great things for himself and great things for India. He’s a 360-degree player and that’s something that our batsmen could try to emulate,” Pollard said.
An important part of a successful T20 outfit is laying out specific roles for specific players and Pollard, while being aware of this, says it’s also important to rotate to give others opportunities.
“I think everyone is clear in their role. Once you get an opportunity to play, you know your role so it’s about getting the experience and understanding what is needed at the international level. We’re not just chopping and changing for the sake of it, guys came in and had specific roles to play. We’re in a position where we have to give guys opportunities,” he said.
The West Indies next white-ball assignment will a tour of the Netherlands in May-June where they will play three ODIs.
Babar was outstanding with the bat in 2022, scoring 2,598 runs in 44 matches at an average of 54.12 and raking up eight centuries.
The prolific right-hander was the only player to reach the 2,000 landmark in the calendar year across all formats and led his side to the T20 World Cup final, which they lost against England at the MCG in November.
It was the most successful year of Babar's career, earning him the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy. Babar was also named the Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year.
Stokes also enjoyed a year that he will never forget, making a huge impact after being appointed as England Test captain.
The all-rounder could not have wished for a better start to a new era with him as skipper and Brendon McCullum head coach, turning England's fortunes around with an incredible transformation in a short space of time.
England had won only one of 17 Tests when Joe Root stepped down, but secured series wins over New Zealand and South Africa, beat India in a rearranged Test and celebrated an unprecedented 3-0 whitewash of Pakistan away from home.
Stokes led the side brilliantly as an aggressive brand of cricket paid dividends, while the all-rounder produced another match-winning innings to seal a victory over Pakistan in the T20 World Cup final.
He scored 870 runs at an average of 36.25 last year and took 26 wickets at an average of 31.19.
India run machine Suryakumar Yadav is the Men's T20I Cricketer of the Year, having scored 1,164 runs in 31 matches at an average of 46.56 and a strike-rate of 187.43.
Nat Sciver also starred for England in 2022 and was on Thursday named as the winner of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy for the ICC Women's Cricketer of the Year.
All-rounder Sciver scored 1,346 runs and claimed 22 wickets from 33 international matches, starring as England were runners-up in the Women's Cricket World Cup 2022,
Sciver made a magnificent unbeaten 148 from only 121 in a defeat against Australia in the final.
Suryakumar Yadav scored 79 not out from 47 balls as the Indians, who won the toss and elected to bat, set a strong total of 193-4 in Abu Dhabi.
Jos Buttler smashed 70 from 44 deliveries in response but he lacked meaningful support from any of his Royals team-mates, who will be eagerly anticipating the availability of Ben Stokes once his period of quarantine in the United Arab Emirates is over.
Jasprit Bumrah starred for the Indians with bowling figures of 4-20 – his best in the IPL – to ensure his team moved above the Delhi Capitals at the summit and condemned the Royals, who had won their first two matches, to a third consecutive defeat as they were bowled out for 136.
YADAV GOES BIG
After opener Quinton de Kock fell to IPL debutant Kartik Tyagi, Mumbai looked like they could be in trouble in their middle overs when Shreyas Gopal (2-28) removed Rohit Sharma (35) and Ishan Kishan (0) with successive deliveries.
Krunal Pandya went to Jofra Archer for 12 but Yadav pushed the Indians forward, bringing up his fifty with a four off Tom Curran.
Yadav established an unbeaten partnership worth 76 runs with Hardik Pandya (30 off 19) and finished with 11 fours and a pair of maximums for his highest IPL score.
POLLARD DENIES BRILLIANT BUTTLER
The Royals' hopes of being competitive were effectively dashed inside their opening three overs as they lost Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sanju Samson to Trent Boult for ducks either side of Steve Smith swiping Bumrah to De Kock.
Rajasthan were in poor shape at 12-3 – the third game in a row they have been three down inside seven overs – but Buttler launched five maximums and found the rope four more times to give them hope.
However, a stunning catch from Kieron Pollard, who adjusted well in the deep after Buttler's shot initially hit his forearm, ended the wicketkeeper-batsman's electric knock.
Bumrah capped a commanding display from the Indians by dismissing Rahul Tewatia (5) and Gopal (1) in the same over before accounting for Archer at the end of his next set of six.
Both sides came into the showdown on the back of defeats and it was leaders Mumbai who responded like the champions they are, winning by five wickets in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
Bumrah moved past the 100 IPL wickets and 200 T20 scalp landmarks with outstanding figures of 3-14 from four overs, playing a big part in restricting RCB to 164-6.
Devdutt Padikkal (74 from 45 balls) and Josh Philippe (33 off 24) got Virat Kohli's second-placed side off to a flyer, but they were rocked by the India paceman Bumrah at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium.
Kieron Pollard also made an impact with the ball, removing AB de Villiers for only 15 in his only over – which cost just five runs.
Yadav was Mumbai's match-winner with the bat, making a statement to the India selectors after he was left out for the tour of Australia by crafting an unbeaten 79 off 43 balls.
Mohammed Siraj and Yuzvendra Chahal took two wickets apiece, but they were unable to see the back of the classy Yadav, who hit the winning runs off the first ball of the last over to leave the Indians on the brink of the play-offs.
BRILLIANT BUMRAH HITS MILESTONES BY CLAIMING KOHLI SCALP
India paceman Bumrah is up to second on the list of the leading wicket-takers in the 2020 tournament after playing a huge hand for the defending champions yet again.
He also reached two significant landmarks by claiming the huge wicket of Kohli, who was caught in the deep after top-edging a short ball.
Bumrah then removed Shivam Dube and Padikkal, who struck 12 fours and a six in a classy knock, in the 17th over and bowled 15 dot balls in another outstanding performance with ball in hand.
YADAV MAKES HIS POINT AFTER INDIA SNUB
Siraj was called up by India this week and celebrated by getting rid of Quinton de Kock and Saurabh Tiwary, while Chahal sent Ishan Kishan packing.
Mumbai were 107-4 when Krunal Pandya fell in the 14th over, but Yadav never looked troubled in a brilliant knock, reaching his half-century off 29 balls.
The elegant right-hander struck three of his 10 fours off the 16th over, bowled by Siraj, and two of his three sixes came off the spinner Chahal as he finished with a strike rate of 183.72.
Dawid Malan's rapid 77 fired the much-improved hosts to 215-7, a huge tally which India looked capable of reaching after the outstanding Suryakumar Yadav scored 117 off just 55 balls.
But Reece Topley (3-22) claimed three wickets as England held off India's chase to record a morale-boosting triumph, their first since Eoin Morgan's international retirement.
Looking to recover from comprehensive back-to-back defeats, Buttler's men produced a far better performance with the bat in Nottingham as their skipper's fourth-over dismissal allowed Malan to step up for a terrific 39-ball knock.
Losing Jason Roy (27) and Phil Salt (eight) to Umran Malik and Harshal Patel within the first 10 overs did little to stem the hosts' momentum as Liam Livingstone (42 not out) joined Malan in an 84-run partnership before India belatedly stepped up their attack in the 17th over.
Ravi Bishnoi accounted for Malan and Moeen Ali – the latter for a duck – in rapid fashion before Harry Brook (19) and Chris Jordan (11) fell, but India's bowling display fell a long way short of their scintillating outing at Edgbaston last time out as England still posted a mammoth total.
Indeed, the 13 sixes racked up by England represented their most in a T20I innings against India, and they looked set for a comfortable victory when the tourists made a dreadful start with the bat.
India lost Rishabh Pant (one), Virat Kohli (11) and Rohit Sharma (11) during a desperate first five overs, only for the imperious Yadav to drag them into contention with his first international hundred.
But Yadav's 19th-over dismissal at the hands of Ali slowed India's progress, as England clung on to end an underwhelming series on a high.
Magnificent Malan carries England
Malan's 77 – the fourth-best knock of his T20I career and his best against India – proved crucial as England racked up their highest ever score against India in the format, despite another early exit for Buttler.
Yadav falls short despite terrific haul
Yadav was incredibly unfortunate to end up on the losing side after his outstanding innings, falling just short of leading India to a remarkable chase as well as missing out on making history on an individual level.
His 117 was just one short of the highest score ever posted by an India player in the format, with Rohit having smashed an almighty 118 off just 43 balls against Sri Lanka in December 2017.
The 35-year-old swashbuckling batsman has been named as captain of the MI Emirates, the team owned by the executives of Mumbai Indians, ahead of the start of the competition on January 10.
Pollard, who played for over a decade with Mumbai in the IPL before retiring last year, will bring plenty of experience to the position having, among other things, lifted 5 titles with the IPL franchise.
Having played for many years at Mumbai with Pollard, Yadav is confident that MI Emirates could not be in safer hands.
“I feel as a leader Pollard has been very calm, composed and gives everyone a chance to express themselves on the field whether the team is under the pump or even if we are on top,” Yadav explained.
“We felt very comfortable when he led MI and I am sure he will do the same thing for the MI Emirates,” he added.
In addition to Pollard and Yadav, the team will be boosted by the likes of the West Indian duo of Dwayne Bravo and Nicholas Pooran, who himself stepped down as captain of the West Indies white-ball teams late last year.
In a rain-delayed semi-final clash at Guayana National Stadium, an England batting collapse, combined with lethal bowling from Kuldeep Yadav (3-19), Axar Patel (3-23) and Jasprit Bumrah (2-13) ensured tournament favourites India will face South Africa in the showpiece match on Saturday.
Captain Rohit Sharma struck 57 and Suryakumar Yadav plundered 47 as India put on 171-7 from their 20 overs.
England's chase started brightly as skipper Jos Buttler reeled off a series of fours in swift succession, yet his stand lasted just 15 deliveries.
And from losing Buttler with the 19th ball of their innings, England's top order capitulated, with Phil Salt, Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali and Sam Curran all following their captain in heading for the pavilion within seven overs.
Harry Brook offered more resistance with a spirited 25, but the damage was already done by the time he was sent packing in the 11th over.
Liam Livingstone and Adil Rashid were run out in the space of three deliveries, and though Jofra Archer rallied with a pair of sixes, England's dismal day came to an end when he was pitched leg-before-wicket by Bumrah.
It marked a memorable triumph for India as they gained a measure of revenge for their 10-wicket loss to England at the same stage in 2022, and the Proteas – who thrashed Afghanistan earlier in the day – are all that stand between them and the trophy.
Data Debrief: Recent history means nothing
India had lost their last two T20 World Cup semi-finals, having batted first on each of those occasions too, but they banished those demons in emphatic fashion this time around.
England had won three of their last four such matches, having bowled first in each of those games, but that record did not continue.
Buttler's future is uncertain, though he did at least take a slice of history with him, with his knock of 23 ensuring he became the fourth England player to score 1,000 runs at the T20 World Cup (1,013).
After losing their opener to Zimbabwe in their first game after the World Cup, India made no mistake in Kandy as they took a 1-0 lead in this three-game series, piling misery on their hosts.
India made a strong start through openers Yashavi Jaiswal (40) and Shubman Gill (34) before Suryakumar Yadav's 58 carried them to 150 before he was dismissed.
Rishabh Pant fell just short of a half-century as he helped India's charge, though that soon stalled thanks to Matheesha Pathirana, whose impressive performance saw him finish with 4-40.
With India stopped at 213-7, Sri Lanka made a steady start, with Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis combining for 84 before the latter was caught for 45.
Two quick wickets from Axar Patel in the 15th over soon ended any hopes of Sri Lanka coming out on top, though, as Nissanka (79) and Kusal Perera (20) were both taken.
The hosts soon collapsed, losing their last seven wickets in just over four overs as they were bowled out for 170.
Data Debrief: India go from strength to strength
Gambhir could not have asked for a better performance at the start of his tenure with India, with their late performance in the field proving vital.
Just when Sri Lanka looked to be mounting a real attack to chase down the target of 214, they lost nine wickets from their final 5.2 overs to be bowled out well short of their target, with Patal and Arshdeep Singh both getting two wickets each.
The hosts' first game since their disappointing World Cup campaign did not quite go to plan, and they will be looking to bounce back on Sunday.
In a game that Sri Lanka started brightly, India ultimately proved too strong as they continued their impressive record over their opponents in this format.
India's openers endured a difficult start to the encounter, as Yashasvi Jaiswal (10) Sanju Samson (0) and Rinku Singh (1) all fell inside the first four overs.
Shubman Gill would top score for the Men in Blue with 39 runs from 37 deliveries as Maheesh Theekshana starred with the ball in hand, taking 3-28 as Sri Lanka restricted their opponents to 137-9.
Kusal Mendis (43) and Kusal Perera (46) would give Sri Lanka an excellent start to their chase, losing just two wickets in the first 16 overs of the contest.
But with time running out, India's bowlers stepped up the pressure and claimed six wickets from the final four overs. Needing just six runs from the final over, Yadav's bowling display forced a super over.
Washington Sundar was given the responsibility to deliver, and he claimed two wickets in three balls with Sri Lanka finished the super over having scored just two.
Yadav would waste no time in sealing the win, smashing a four from the opening ball to secure a 3-0 series win.
Data Debrief: India continue Sri Lanka dominance
India have now won five of their last six men’s T20Is against Sri Lanka (L1), including the last four on the bounce.
The Men in Blue have won all of their four men’s T20Is against Sri Lanka at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.
Sri Lanka have now lost their last three men's T20Is at Pallekele, the second time they have done so in their history (three loses from September 2016 to September 2019).
India cruised to an eight-wicket win in the low-scoring opener on Wednesday, but the runs flowed in Guwahati on Sunday as Suryakumar Yadav (61) and KL Rahul (57) helped the hosts post an imposing 237-3.
Suryakumar and Rahul both hit half-centuries in the first match, and they were at it again as South Africa's bowling attack failed to get control of the match, with only Keshav Maharaj (2-23) picking up wickets as the likes of Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi struggled.
India's score was their fourth-highest in T20Is, aided by important innings from captain Rohit Sharma (43) and Virat Kohli's unbeaten 49. Yadav's runs, meanwhile, came from just 22 balls, five of which he despatched for six.
South Africa's chase started woefully, as captain Temba Bavuma and Rilee Rossouw were both dismissed for nought by Arshdeep Singh in the second over.
Quinton de Kock and Miller fought to keep South Africa in the game, as former captain De Kock made a snappy 69 not out while Miller hit 106no from 47 balls.
Despite those efforts, the Proteas never truly threatened to chase the challenging total as they lost the series with a game left to play, finishing on 221-3. The third match takes place on Tuesday in Indore.
Record-setting Suryakumar
Suryakumar became the fastest player to reach 1,000 T20I runs in terms of balls faced, as he hit five fours and as many maximums to post his second half-century in a row.
He reached 1,000 T20I runs in 573 balls, 31 fewer than the previous record-holder Glenn Maxwell required, and helped India to set a huge target as the Proteas bowlers were carted to all parts.
Rabada struggles to make a dent
A key member of South Africa's pace attack, Rabada failed to make a significant impact as he finished with figures of 0-57 in his four overs.
The most expensive of the visitors' bowlers, Rabada was hit for 10 boundaries as India stormed to a total out of South Africa's reach.
India take on Sri Lanka in a three-match ODI series starting at the ACA Stadium in Guwahati on Tuesday.
It comes off the back of India beating their sub-continental rivals 2-1 in a T20I series that went down to the last match, which was decided by Suryakumar's superb unbeaten 112 from 51 deliveries.
Suryakumar is number one in the ICC T20I batting rankings, and Rohit is the only player to have scored more tons in the format than the 32-year-old.
However, Suryakumar's form in the shortest format does not guarantee him a place in India's 50-over side, especially with a World Cup looming.
"The problem happens when we start comparing different formats," Rohit told reporters.
"We have to look who has done well in ODI cricket for us, what situation they have done well in. They have been under pressure, and they have gone in, batted and scored runs.
"All those things you need to take into account before making that call.
"I do understand the form as well. Form is important, but the format is also important. The 50-over format is a different format, slightly longer than the T20 format, and the guys who have performed in ODIs will definitely get a run. We are very clear in what we want to do."
Suryakumar enjoyed a fine start to his ODI career but has tapered off, and in his past 10 matches he has averaged only 15 in the format.
He is likely to compete with Shreyas Iyer for a place in the side against Sri Lanka.
Iyer has scored 724 runs in men's ODIs since the beginning of 2022, the most by any batter in the period, while he averages 54 against Sri Lanka.
India will definitely be without star bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who has suffered a setback in his recovery from a back injury.
History on India's side
India have won five of their last six ODIs against Sri Lanka, although their only loss during this period came in the sides' most recent encounter on July 2021.
Sri Lanka have lost 93 times to India in the format, with New Zealand the only side to have lost more times to a single opponent (Australia – 95).
Rohit's happy hunting ground
India skipper Rohit scored an unbeaten 152 runs the last time India played in Guwahati (vs West Indies). Rohit struck eight sixes that day, the most by any player at this ground.
Yadav hit a sensational 102 not out off 51 balls with six maximums as Mumbai successfully chased a target of 174 with 16 balls to spare, lifting them off the foot of the table.
Despite a slow start to the Indians' innings in which SRH took three wickets in the first five overs, Yadav’s introduction turned things around as he put on a partnership of 143 with Tilak Varma (37 not-out).
Sunrisers had started well, with Travis Head reeling off a quick 48, but Piyush Chawla (3-33) and Hardik Pandya (3-31) limited Hyderabad to 173-8, with Anshul Kamboj claiming his maiden IPL wicket by bowling out Mayank Agarwal.
Pat Cummins finished with a flurry, knocking 35 runs from 17 balls, and the Australia captain helped SRH put the Indians on the ropes when he dismissed Rohit Sharma in the fourth over.
Yet Mumbai would lose only one more wicket as Yadav inspired them to victory that snapped a four-match losing run.
Data Debrief: Yadav star of the show
This was Yadav's first IPL hundred of the season, with his knock including 18 boundaries (12 fours, six sixes), taking him up to 334 runs so far this campaign.
He is 16th in the overall rankings, and some 108 runs behind leader Virat Kohli.
Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan, who scored a double century in India's previous ODI last year, were surprisingly dropped for the first of three one-day matches.
But India had few issues without them, as Kohli, Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma led them to an unassailable 373-7.
Gill and Rohit enjoyed a little luck, surviving lbw reviews, but went on to stage a fine opening stand of 143 to put the tourists firmly on the back foot right.
Dasun Shanaka (1-22) eventually accounted for Gill in the 20th over, and an inside edge saw Rohit snaffled by Dilshan Madushanka (1-43) not long after.
But then Kohli arrived to deliver his 73rd international century in all formats.
He, too, benefited from some fortune, dropped on 52 and 81, but Kohli was otherwise in irresistible form with 13 boundaries to eventually finish on 113 off just 87 balls, finally taken by Kasun Rajitha (3-88) when a big slog fell short.
Sri Lanka were always facing an uphill struggle as they moved into bat.
Pathum Nissanka's 72 off 80 was a decent opening effort, but they needed more.
Dhananjaya de Silva (47 off 40) injected some purpose before edging a Mohammed Shami delivery behind to Rahul, and Nissanka followed in the 31st over after slicing Umran Malik (3-57) to Axar Patel at midwicket.
Skipper Shanaka offered late resistance with a tremendous unbeaten 108, finishing with two boundaries, but it was far too late to change the outcome.
India have too much for Sri Lanka
One of the key differences here was India's brilliant efficiency with the bat. All but one of their nine batsmen recorded a strike rate of over 100, and five of those scored over 25 runs.
By contrast, only three Sri Lanka batters had such a strike rate, with Shanaka and De Silva the two to surpass 25.
A bad day for Sri Lanka's bowlers
Rajitha was the only Sri Lanka bowler to claim more than one wicket, and yet even his overs proved fairly expensive as he gave up 88 runs.
Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva (0-67) and Dunith Wellalage (0-65) also had particular difficulty at a ground that is, to be fair, known for being generous for scoring.
India posted 164-5 after they were asked to bat first in Colombo, with skipper Shikhar Dhawan's 46 and a 34-ball 50 from Suryakumar Yadav providing the bulk of the runs.
Dushmantha Chameera (2-24) and Wanindu Hasaranga (2-28) did the damage for Sri Lanka, but the majority of the home side's batsmen failed to fire after the interval.
Avishka Fernando (26) and Charith Asalanka (44) briefly gave Sri Lanka some hope, but Kumar (4-22) and Deepak Chahar (2-24) got the job done as the hosts were bowled out for 126 with nine balls to spare.
Sri Lanka were outclassed in their recent T20I series in England, which ended in a 3-0 loss, but even on home soil Mickey Arthur's side lack the batting firepower and they have now won just once in their previous 14 completed fixtures.
The second and third Twenty20 internationals in Colombo, both also at the R. Premadasa Stadium, take place on Tuesday and Thursday as both sides continue their preparations for the T20 World Cup later this year.
Kumar closes in on milestone
India seamer Kumar was cool during the business end of the match as he took three of the final four wickets to fall. He needs just one wicket to reach 50 in T20I action for India and become the fourth player to achieve this feat for the country.
Shanaka must deliver more
Sri Lanka lost their final six wickets for less than 15 runs and needed more from T20 captain Dasun Shanaka, who made a tame 14-ball 16. Shanaka is normally an aggressive middle-order batsman but his modest innings included just one four before he was stumped off the bowling of debutant Varun Chakravarthy.
England held on despite Yadav scoring a terrific 117 off 55 balls, falling just one run short of matching India's best ever showing in the format – Rohit Sharma's 118 against Sri Lanka in 2017 – as Buttler's men clawed back some pride at the end of a 2-1 series defeat.
They were indebted to Dawid Malan's 77 as they racked up 215-7 for their highest ever T20I score against India and a first win since Eoin Morgan's international retirement.
While Buttler was delighted with England's response with the bat after they were bowled out for just 148 and 121 in the first two matches of the series, he reserved his highest praise for India star Yadav.
"It was good fun, a fantastic game of cricket, much more like we're used to seeing from our side," Buttler told Sky Sports. "I was really pleased with the response with the bat especially.
"It was an incredible knock from Suryakumar, one of the best hundreds I've seen, and he put us under a lot of pressure.
"The guys bowled really well at the end there. I was pleased to see [Richard] Gleeson back up another performance, CJ [Chris Jordan]'s been excellent all series, so I'm delighted for those guys."
England's Reece Topley was named player of the match after claiming three wickets but was also keen to lavish praise on India's best performer.
"I was speechless at some of the shots, they were unbelievable. He looks a hell of a player," Topley said.
"I've not come across him too much, so I was just in awe most of the time, to be honest."
After watching Yadav come agonisingly close to matching his own record T20I total, Rohit was delighted with the 31-year-old's performance in a thrilling chase.
"It was a fantastic chase, and we are proud of our fight," Rohit said.
"Suryakumar Yadav was magnificent to watch. I have been watching him for a while, and he loves this format, he is unorthodox and has a wide range of shots.
"He never lets the tempo go. He has grown as player and is going from strength to strength."
India head into the first of three T20Is at JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi on Friday on the back of a 3-0 whitewash of the Black Caps in the 50-over format.
New Zealand have won just one of their past 11 completed against India in the short format, with that victory coming in the 2021 T20 World Cup in Dubai.
The tourists are yet to win a multi-game T20I bilateral series in India and they will be without the likes of Kane Williamson, Tim Southee and Tom Latham, with Mitchell Santner taking over as captain.
Pandya will lead India in the absence of Rohit Sharma, while Virat Kohli will not feature and Ruturaj Gaikwad misses out with a wrist injury.
All-rounder Pandya said: "We will try to win obviously. New Zealand is a good team both in T20Is and ODIs.
"They always challenge you. We will have to be at their best to beat them."
Shubman Gill comes into the series in the form of his life, scoring a sublime 208 in the first ODI and a century in the third match.
Gill is set to open the batting with Ishan Kishan, so Prithvi Shaw will have to bide his time.
Pandya said: "Shubman has done well and will start the series. The way he is batting and he was already in the team."
India and New Zealand were beaten semi-finalists in last year's T20 World Cup in Australia, although many of the players involved in the tournament will not be featuring this time around.
Suryakumar on top of the world
Suryakumar Yadav is another player New Zealand will be eager to see the back of before he gets set.
He was named the ICC Men's T20I Player of the Year for 2022 this week and is the top-ranked T20I batter in the world.
Suryakumar made a decisive 112 in his last T20I innings against Sri Lanka, his third century in six months in this format.
Baptism of fire for uncapped New Zealand bowlers
Uncapped duo Ben Lister and Henry Shipley are poised to make their debuts against a formidable batting line-up.
Lister will provide an alternative left-arm seam option with no Trent Boult for Santner to call upon.
Paceman Shipley will also be looking to make his mark on the T20I stage after making his ODI debut against Pakistan and facing India twice.
All-rounder Sundar misses out due to finger injury on his bowling hand that will take longer than expected to recover from.
Gill suffered a stress fracture of his shin during the World Test Championship final defeat to New Zealand at the Ageas Bowl and the opening batsman has returned to India.
Paceman Khan fractured his thumb during a warm-up game against a County Select XI last week.
Batsmen Shaw and Yadav - uncapped in the longest format - have been drafted in as replacements, while Prasidh Krishna and Arzan Nagwaswalla are on standby.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant has been reunited with his team-mates after recovering from coronavirus.
The five-match series starts at Trent Bridge next Wednesday.
India squad: Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (captain), Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, KL Rahul, Wriddhiman Saha, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prithvi Shaw, Suryakumar Yadav.
India started their Super 8s campaign in style in Barbados, with Suryakumar's 28-ball 53 propelling them to 181-8 from their 20 overs.
Virat Kohli added 24, with Hardik Pandya contributing a useful 30 too, though Fazalhaq Farooqi, the tournament's leading wicket-taker, finished with impressive figures of 3-33.
Yet Farooqi was outshone by Bumrah, who was the star of India's bowling attack.
Bumrah took 3-7 as he skittled through Afghanistan's top order, reducing them to 23-3 inside five overs.
Arshdeep Singh (3-36) rounded matters off, sending Rashid Khan, Naveen-ul-Haq and Noor Ahmad packing to bowl Afghanistan all out for 134.
The victory sent India to the top of Group One, ahead of Australia's clash with Bangladesh.
Data Debrief: More history for Kohli
Kohli might have taken a backseat in this win, but his haul of 24 saw him move onto 4,066 runs in T20Is.
That makes Kohli India's record run scorer in the format, with the 35-year-old having surpassed Rohit Sharma (4,050).
Suryakumar Yadav hit an unbeaten half-century as India successfully chased down their opponents' target of 111 for a seven-wicket victory - and their third win in as many Group A matches.
The tournament co-hosts also entered the contest with a perfect record from their opening two games, but endured a poor start as Arshdeep Singh claimed Shayan Jahangir and Andries Gous in the first over.
That left them at 3-2, but they managed to settle with Steven Taylor (24 from 30 balls) and Nitish Kumar (27 off 23) top-scoring as their side finished at 110-8.
However, the States made a purposeful start in the field. With the second ball, Virat Kohli was gone for a duck as Gous caught him from Saurabh Netravalkar, who also dismissed Rohit Sharma for just three.
Suryakumar (50 off 49 not out) stepped in and held the fort alongside Shivam Dube (31 off 45 not out), though India were still in danger of a potential shock, needing 35 off the final 30 balls.
Nevertheless, an untimely five-run penalty was awarded to them as the USA took longer than a minute between overs for the third time.
That swung the pendulum firmly in India's favour. Successive boundaries from Suryakumar eased the pressure as they saw out what was eventually a comfortable win.
Data Debrief: India through, but Kohli's struggles continue
It was not as comfortable as India would have hoped for but, nevertheless, they managed to get the job done, with Suryakumar leading the charge.
However, the form of Kohli will be a cause for concern. His dismissal for a golden duck means he has now scored just five runs in his nation's opening three matches.
The sides were foiled by rain in the opening game of their three-match series without a ball being bowled, but India deservedly came out on top in Mount Maunganui.
Suryakumar hit seven sixes and 11 fours to further underline why he is the world's top-ranked T20 batter, while Ishan Kishan chipped in with 36 as India's next highest scorer.
The Men in Blue reached 191-6 and New Zealand fell well short as they were skittled for 126 in the 19th over, with skipper Kane Williamson (61) supplying almost half their runs.
Rain at times threatened the contest, with India 50-1 in the seventh over when players were forced off the field, but play resumed and India wasted no time in wrapping things up.
Spinner Deepak Hooda starred with the ball by taking 4-10 off 2.5 overs, including the last three scalps in the space of four balls.
India shake off World Cup blues
India suffered T20 World Cup semi-final disappointment last week, as did opponents New Zealand, but they bounced back with this well-earned victory.
They have now won each of their past four T20Is with New Zealand, including each of the past four, making this their best ever winning run against the Black Caps in the format.
Southee flourish not enough
Tim Southee gave New Zealand some hope when removing skipper Hardik Pandya, Washington Sundar and Deepak in the final over for his second career hat-trick.
But the damage had already been done by Suryakumar, who raced to a 49-ball hundred en route to 111 in his latest dazzling display with the bat.
