The stage is set at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, where India and New Zealand will kick off a five-match T20I series with the opening encounter under lights in Nagpur.
Suryakumar Yadav will take charge of the Indian side, arriving with an unblemished record in bilateral T20I series as captain. The series also offers him a timely opportunity to rediscover his rhythm with the bat, having endured a lean patch in recent outings.
With the ICC T20 World Cup fast approaching, this contest carries added significance for both teams. A strong start and series victory could go a long way in building confidence and momentum heading into the global tournament.
India vs New Zealand: T20I Stats
Historically, India have enjoyed the upper hand in this rivalry in the shortest format. The two sides have met 25 times in T20 Internationals so far, with India claiming 14 wins. New Zealand have secured victory in 10 matches, while one encounter failed to produce a result.
The most recent T20I series between the two teams took place in 2023, where India emerged on top with a 2-1 series win, further underlining their edge heading into this latest chapter of the rivalry.
Interestingly, one of New Zealand’s 10 wins in the shortest format against India have come at the VCA Stadium, the venue for tonight’s match. So despite the home advantage, this should be an exciting, evenly poised clash.
The IND vs NZ 1st T20I is scheduled to kick off at 7:00 PM IST. The toss, as per general cricketing traditions, should take place half an hour earlier, so likely around 6:30 PM IST.
IND vs NZ T20I Series: Full Squads
India – Suryakumar Yadav (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ishan Kishan, Ravi Bishnoi
New Zealand – Mitchell Santner (C), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Bevon Jacobs, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Robinson, Ish Sodhi
