After a defeat in the ODI series, Team India will turn their eyes to the 5-match T20I series against the Kiwis. With the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 looming in less than three weeks, Suryakumar Yadav and Co will aim to fine tune their preparations. The Men in Blue have been hit with an injury crisis off late but will eye to fix their issues over the course of the 5-match series.
The T20 series also marks the return of all-rounder Hardik Pandya and pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah after some well-earned rest during the ODI series.
While Shubman Gill has been dropped, Suryakumar Yadav's form remains a huge cause of concern for the Men in Blue. India's stunning record has pappered over his woeful returns over the last couple of years. But with a World Cup in less than 3 weeks time, SKY will be itching to have some runs under his belt.
For New Zealand pacer bowling all-rounder Kristian Clarke, who claimed seven wickets including Virat Kohli twice across the three games of the recent ODI series, wil stay for the T20 series as both Michael Bracewell and Adam Milne are nursing niggles.
IND vs NZ 1st T20I: Predicted XIs
India: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav.
New Zealand: Tim Robinson, Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner, James Neesham, Jacob Duffy, Kyle Jamieson, Ish Sodhi, Matt Henry
IND vs NZ Live Streaming
Star Sports remains the official broadcaster of all India home matches. The IND vs NZ T20I series will be available on the Star Sports Network. Fans can tune into the action online at JioHotstar. Toss will be held at 6:30 PM IST.
