After losing the ODI series 2-1 to New Zealand, India will aim to bounce back and show their dominance in the shortest format of the game. Ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026, India and New Zealand will clash in an important 5-match T20I series starting from Wednesday 21st January in Nagpur with the match set to commence from 7 PM IST onwards. It’s the last opportunity for both teams to adjust to conditions and more importantly fine tune their skills, possible XI ahead of the marquee event.
India will be led by Suryakumar Yadav and he will desperately want runs in this series in order to get back into form. India under Surya have been on a hot streak as after T20 World Cup 2024, India has played everywhere and has not lost a series under his leadership. A proud record that he will want to keep intact against a determined New Zealand side. New Zealand will be led by Mitchell Santner as many of the regulars come back into the side.
The likes of Rachin Ravindra, Jacob Duffy, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi alongside Santner join this squad after skipping the ODI series. Mark Chapman is also back in the side alongside Bevon John Jacobs and Tim Robinson who is not part of T20 squad. One might say that India starts as favourites, but never count the Black Caps out as they may pounce on the Indians and they play very good consistent cricket.
Overview.Â
The stage is set for the shortest format of the game to take centre stage now as India and New Zealand shift from ODI cricket to T20 cricket. It is going to be a 5-match T20I series happening in a span of 10 days to different venues around India. We start the series at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur on 21st January Wednesday from 7 PM IST onwards when the first T20I will get underway. It’s a series for both teams to fine tune their skills and playing XI ahead of the big World Cup.
India under Suryakumar Yadav have been on red hot form and has not lost a series against any team they played since the last World Cup which was held two years ago. They drew a series but never lost one and they would want to keep that intact although under the new Gautam Gambhir era, every record is meant to be broken. India last played a 5-match T20I series against South Africa and through strong performances won the series 3-1 with one match abandoned due to fog issues.
India have many superstars in their line-up but the biggest one to watch out for has been Abhishek Sharma as he has been the key to India’s success. Sanju Samson will be back at the top of the order after Shubman Gill was axed from the team. Suryakumar Yadav needs runs and this has to be the series where he gets some of his mojo back. Tilak Varma and Washington Sundar injured with the former out for first three matches at least while the latter will miss the whole T20I series. Shreyas Iyer and Ravi Bishnoi has been called in as replacements for the series vs New Zealand.
Hardik Pandya has been in scintillating form and would want to continue his run with bat and ball as well. There is Shivam Dube in the squad who plays the role of finisher and bowling as well. Axar Patel returns and will be a key player as he has often come good in clutch moments. Rinku Singh is also a part of the squad and it will be interesting to see whether he gets game time.
Varun Chakaravarthy has been in red hot form and he will be the key alongside Kuldeep Yadav who had a forgettable ODI series and would want to put those performances behind him and start afresh in the shortest format of the game. India welcomes back their spearhead Jasprit Bumrah alongside Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana. Ravi Bishnoi has been added to the squad as replacement for Washington Sundar in this series. India looks good on paper and must translate that into performances to be in good headspace before the World Cup.
New Zealand, on the other hand, will look to complete the double winning ODIs and T20Is against India in India. They will be led by Mitchell Santner after the left-arm spinner skipped the ODI series as he was still recuperating from groin injury. The team looks solid as they welcome back Rachin Ravindra, Mark Chapman, Jacob Duffy, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi among others while Bevon John Jacobs gets a chance and so does Tim Robinson who is not part of the World Cup squad.
New Zealand have had a mixed run in the shortest format of the game this year lately. In ODIs, they were dominant, but T20Is has been a mixed bag. They faced Australia first and lost the series 0-2 with one match abandoned due to rain. Then against England, two matches got washed out and the one game that was played, the Kiwis lost that one too to lose 0-1. But in the last T20I series against West Indies, New Zealand won 3-1 with one match abandoned. So, they will be confident against a strong Indian side.
With most of their superstars back, New Zealand will provide a tough challenge to the Indians and India have to play well to win the series. A series win cannot be a guarantee as in the shortest format of the game anybody can anybody on the given day. The stage is set for the first T20I to begin in Nagpur.
Head-To-Head.Â
India and New Zealand have played against each other in 25 matches in total with India holding the slight edge winning 14 off them to New Zealand’s 10. One match ended in a no result. It’s 8-2 in India’s favour in the last 10 fixtures between the two teams. However, the last time these two teams met in T20Is was way back on February 1st, 2023.
Pitch & Weather Report.Â
The pitch at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur tends to be on the slow and low where stroke-making will be challenging for the batters early on. The bowlers use variations can dominate this fixture as the batters will have to apply themselves on this wicket. It is a bowler’s paradise as all-rounders and spinners will hold maximum value. To put things into perspective, the average score in the last 5 T20s batting first has been 119 with spinners taking 32 wickets and the pacers 31 wickets.
The weather in Nagpur temperature wise will be 18 degrees to 22 degrees Celsius. The conditions will be clear skies with no chance whatsoever of rain. There is heavy dew expected at the venue especially in the second innings which will make chasing slightly easier. The team winning the toss will opt to chase. Batting first though won’t be the end of the world as one has to bat well and post a good total.
Predicted/Possible Playing XIs of both sides.Â
India XI: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana/Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh.
New Zealand XI: Devon Conway (wk), Rachin Ravindra, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Kyle Jamieson, Jacob Duffy, Ish Sodhi, Matt Henry.
Key Players to watch out for in this clash.Â
Abhishek Sharma: He is India’s destructive opener and one of the keys for India to be successful. Lately, the Indian batting has revolved around Abhishek Sharma as he has been the mainstay for India. He gives India a fast start in powerplay and sets it up for the others and they do a job in driving home the advantage. India will be hoping Abhishek continues his rich vein of form in this particular series as well.
Varun Chakaravarthy: He is India’s trump card and Number one bowler in the shortest format of the game. Varun Chakaravarthy is hard to get away and he bamboozles the opposition with his variation. India will be hoping that Varun continues his good run with the ball and takes wickets whether in powerplay or in other phases as well. He will be the key to India moving forward.
Mark Chapman: Mark Chapman has been in red hot form in the shortest format of the game. He has been explosive and scoring important runs for his side. He will be expected to do well at the coveted Number 3 spot left vacant by the retirement of Kane Williamson. Chapman is a key player for the visitors and can play spin very well making it challenging for the Indian bowlers as well.
Mitchell Santner: The captain of New Zealand, Mitchell Santner is a bank for New Zealand with ball in hand. He keeps things nice and tight and picks up wickets as well. He is an ideal bowlers for the Kiwis. He has good record against India and would like to trouble them in this series as well. If he does well, then New Zealand will be a tough nut to crack for sure.
Predicted/Possible Outcome of the Match.Â
It’s the start of a series and it is extremely tough to pick a winner so early in the series without looking at their form. But on paper and form in T20Is, definitely India starts as favourites. But one cannot count New Zealand out as they always punch above their weight. A good contest awaits us all and India will hope to start the series with a win although things will not be straightforward as one feels at this stage.
Let’s see how the match pans out in Nagpur.
Also Read: IND vs NZ: 3 Reasons For India’s Crushing Loss In 3rd ODI