Ryan Williams cites jet lag and Auckland weather as challenges ahead of India’s New Zealand friendly
India will meet New Zealand in the first of two international friendlies at Auckland’s i-SITE Stadium on Thursday, November 12, 2026, at 11:40 IST, and forward Ryan Williams has outlined the challenges posed by the long travel and local conditions.
The fixture is India’s first-ever visit to New Zealand and the third senior meeting between the two nations after encounters in 1981 and 2018. For much of the Indian squad the trip is a novel experience; Williams, who was born in Australia, has played in New Zealand before while with Perth Glory, including a January 2023 2-2 draw with Wellington Phoenix in Palmerston North in which David Williams scored both goals in a match dubbed the ‘Distance Derby’.
Williams emphasised the effect of time zones on preparation, saying: “Every time I’ve come to New Zealand to play, it’s always been difficult because of how far away it is from everything. From Perth, it’s a long way. The time difference is something you have to manage as well.” He noted Auckland is seven and a half hours ahead of India and described a personal routine to combat jet lag: “I planned to sleep for the first part of the flight, which was to Malaysia. I slept a couple of hours, then pretty much didn’t sleep until we got here. It kind of resets your whole body clock, so you can come here, go straight to sleep, and try to sleep through the whole night. I feel good. I’ve done this plenty of times before, so it definitely helps in situations like this.”
Players encountered Auckland’s cool, wet weather during the first training session at the North Harbour Stadium Outer Oval on Tuesday, when a breezy afternoon session turned into a chilly downpour. Williams reflected on the session with dry humour: “Having trained in pouring rain, cold and on wet, muddy ground, I’m used to it. But these boys came out, and it was quite funny. It was like a scene out of Cool Runnings,” he joked.
He added that the squad responded positively to the conditions: “Everyone enjoyed it, though. Testing yourself in different climates, temperatures and parts of the world is what we want to do as footballers. It’s really exciting. Everyone is happy, glad that we’re here, and thankful that these games have been put on.”
Williams also has prior international experience against New Zealand at youth level, having played for Australia’s U20 side when the Young Socceroos beat the Junior All Whites 5-0 in a friendly in Wollongong in June 2013 as part of preparations for the FIFA U20 World Cup in Turkey; Thursday’s match will be his first senior international appearance on New Zealand soil.
Reflecting on India’s recent schedule, Williams referenced the team’s last international window and the opportunity these fixtures present: “It’s a really cool couple of games for us. Coming off the back of playing Panama, Brazil and Uruguay, we’ve got that taste for wanting to play teams that have been in the World Cup. We’ve learned a lot from those games and know how we can improve,” he said. He added: “There were periods in those three games when it didn’t look like there was much difference. Our goal is to take that forward and try to sustain those good periods for longer against equally strong teams.” He concluded: “These are teams that have all played in the World Cup, and that’s where we aspire to be as a country. The more games we play against these big teams, the better it will be for everyone.”
India’s second friendly against New Zealand is scheduled for Sunday, November 15, 2026, at 08:40 IST at the One New Zealand Stadium in Christchurch.