India’s final T20 series before ICC T20 World Cup 2026 is against New Zealand. The five-match series begins with the first T20I on January 21 at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur.
Fans are eagerly looking forward to this clash, as star players like Suryakumar Yadav, Abhishek Sharma, Daryl Mitchell, and Glenn Phillips will be in action.
When will first India vs New Zealand T20 match start, and when will the toss happen?
India vs New Zealand 1st T20 match will start at 7:00 PM IST, and and the toss will happen at 6:30 PM IST.
IND vs NZ 1st T20 Details
Match date: January 21
Venue: VCA Stadium, Nagpur
Match start time: 7:00 PM IST
Toss time: 6:30 PM IST
Where to watch?
TV broadcast: Star Sports Network
Live streaming: JioCinema app and website
Probable Playing XI for IND vs NZ 1st T20I
India: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh.
New Zealand: Tim Robinson, Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Michael Bracewell, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner (c), Ish Sodhi, Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy.
NZ’s T20 win-loss record in India
New Zealand has historically found India to be a challenging destination for T20Is, though they remain one of the few teams to consistently push the hosts. As of January 2026, the Black Caps have played 11 matches against India on Indian soil in bilateral series, securing 4 wins while losing 7.
One of their most iconic performances in India came during the 2016 T20 World Cup in Nagpur, where they famously bowled out India for just 79 runs. However, securing a bilateral series win has been difficult; their only series victory in India was a 1-0 win back in 2012. More recently, they have lost deciders in 2017 and 2023, leaving them eager to break their series drought in the current 2026 tour.
