Nurdaulet Zharmanov, right, will be among the Kazakhstan team ©Getty Images

Astana Arlans Kazakhstan will begin the defence of their World Series of Boxing (WSB) crown tomorrow with a home Asian Group clash against tournament new boys India Tigers.

Arlans won the 2017 edition with a 6-5 victory in the final over Cuba Domadores, and are now hoping to make it four titles in all.

Competition against India will not take place in Astana, however, but at the Boxing Centre Sapiyev in Karaganda.

The hosts will field Akniet Baltabayev at 52 kilograms to take on India's Kavinder Bisht.

Serik Temirzhanov will face Tigers' Ankush Dahiy at 60kg, with Bekbolat Kuramyssov the home representative at 69kg against Duryodhan Negi.

The defending champions will open against new boys India Tigers ©WSB
The defending champions will open against new boys India Tigers ©WSB

At 81kg, Nurdaulet Zharmanov will be the Kazakh fighter against Brijesh Yadav with Nursultan Amanzholov taking on India's Parveen Kumar at over-91kg.

The winners will be the first to three victories in the best-of-five format.

Cuba will also be in action on week two of the WSB today.

They will aim to follow up their week one victory over Colombia in the Americas Group by beating the Uzbek Tigers on home soil in Havana.

The top two teams from all three regional groups will reach the play-offs, alongside the two strongest third-place teams.