VISAKHAPATNAM: Indian batsman Yuvraj Singh's keenly-awaited return after battling cancer ended with a damp squib as the first Twenty20 game against New Zealand was washed out on Saturday.

The game was abandoned without a ball being bowled as heavy rain lashing the southern coastal town of Visakhapatnam since late afternoon showed no signs of relenting.

The two-match series – the second game takes place in Chennai on Tuesday – is a build-up for the World Twenty20 which opens in Sri Lanka on September 18.

Yuvraj, 30, underwent chemotherapy in the United States in March and April to treat a rare germ-cell tumour between his lungs which was diagnosed late last year.

The left-hander, who was man of the tournament in India's World Cup triumph last year, was recalled to the Twenty20 side despite not having played competitive cricket since November.