Published: Jan 21, 2026, 01:08 PM (IST)
Edited: Jan 21, 2026, 01:08 PM (IST)
India vs New Zealand T20Is: The much-anticipated India vs New Zealand five-match T20 series will kick off on Wednesday, with Suryakumar Yadav looking to lead India with confidence. This series serves as a final practice for India ahead of their T20 World Cup title defense, just three weeks away.
Since becoming India’s T20 captain in 2024, Suryakumar has led India to great success with a winning percentage of over 72%. However, his form with the bat has been a cause for concern. In the 2025 season, he scored only 218 runs from 19 matches, without a single half-century. His strike rate also dropped to just 123+. To help his team, he moved down the batting order to No. 4, giving Tilak Varma a chance at No. 3.
The upcoming T20 series also marks the return of some key players. Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah are back after some rest during the ODI series. Pandya brings balance to the team, allowing India to play an extra specialist.
Varun Chakravarthy, who is a crucial ‘X-factor’ for India, will also play an important role. His four overs, especially between the 7th and 15th overs, can change the course of the game. With Kuldeep Yadav not in the best form, Varun’s performance will be even more important in this series.
According to AccuWeather, the weather in Nagpur is expected to be cloudy with temperatures ranging from 18 to 14 degrees Celsius in the evening. The good news is that there is no chance of rain, so the match is likely to go ahead as planned. The winning team at the toss might choose to bowl first to avoid the dew factor that can affect the second innings.
The pitch at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium is made of red soil, which is known to favour bounce and pace, especially in the early overs. Teams will likely use fast bowlers during the powerplay. However, it’s not a very high-scoring pitch, so spinners can play a key role later in the innings. Generally, the total score in the first innings on this pitch is between 160 and 180 runs.
Also Read: IND vs NZ 1st T20 LIVE streaming Details: Date, Time, when and where to watch in India
India: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, Rinku Singh, Arshdeep Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Harshit Rana.
New Zealand: Mitchell Santner (C), Devon Conway, Bevon Jacobs, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Tim Robinson, Jimmy Neesham, Ish Sodi, Zak Foulkes, Mark Chapman, Michael Bracewell, Rachin Ravindra, Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy, Kristian Clarke.
(With PTI Inputs )
