NEW DELHI: India's assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has said that the T20 World Cup next month is still some way off, with the team's immediate focus firmly on the ongoing ODI series against New Zealand, which is currently level at 1-1 following the visitors' win in Rajkot.

The defending champions will co-host the 20-team T20 World Cup beginning February 7, but their attention remains on the high-stakes series, with the series-deciding third ODI scheduled in Indore on Sunday.

"There's a real chance that you're so focused on the World Cup that you think, 'oh, these three games this week just comes and goes' and we don't learn anything and we don't put our best foot (forward), or we don't put our best performances out there," he said after India lost the second ODI by seven wickets.

'Short on cricket': India coach makes bold comment on Rohit Sharma's form

"Strategy (wise), I can't see anything that we've had to skirt around in terms of prepping for the (T20) World Cup. We are fully focused on this series. Every series is important. Individually for these players, there's a lot at stake.

"The World Cup is still a long way away, but (it's about) building from series to series and getting in good habits, so (we are) trying to manage both and put the excitement of the T20 World Cup just on the back burners for another few more days," ten Doeschate added.

But he underlined the need to "protect" the players who are part of the T20 World Cup.

"We're very cautious or conscious about not doing that. But at the same time, you do want to protect the guys who are going to play in the T20 World Cup and you are thinking about it."

The Indian squad has been rocked by a series of injuries, ruling out T20 World Cup-bound players Tilak Varma, Rishabh Pant, and Washington Sundar.

Ten Doeschate stressed that such a situation, where key players are unable to perform, shouldn't have arisen, noting that the two squads feature different personnel and should be able to manage the workload.

"You've got to be able to apply yourself to both situations. Particularly with the two sets of personnel that we have, they're very different so there's no real excuse for not focusing on this," he said.

A depleted New Zealand side romped home with seven wickets and more than two overs to spare in the second ODI here, a game in which Indian spinners were once again outperformed.

The loss threw the spotlight back on the Test series defeat at home against the same opponent in 2024-25 and South Africa earlier this season.

"The two home Test series defeats hurt a lot," ten Doeschate replied when asked if India are no more invincible at home, with South Africa also levelling up the ODIs 1-1," he said.

"To come into a team where the home record is as impeccable as it has been for India, it's tough to front up to those two series losses. You're trying to experiment (but) you're absolutely not saying it's okay to lose. But they sit a little bit more right than the Test match losses.

"We're always trying to win every game, with managing the medium to long-term prospects of the team as well. But yeah, it's certainly something we need to get back to, to guys really fearing coming in and playing India," he added.

(With PTI Inputs)