The five-match T20I series between India and New Zealand, beginning on Wednesday, January 21, shapes up as a timely and valuable warm-up for Suryakumar Yadav’s Men in Blue and Mitchell Santner’s Blackcaps as they fine-tune preparations ahead of the looming global tournament.
With the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 less than a month away, both sides view this contest as a final opportunity to refine combinations, sharpen tactics, and address lingering concerns before the spotlight intensifies.
India enter the series close to full strength, but not without a few enforced adjustments. Injuries have disrupted some of the original planning, with Tilak Varma set to miss the first three matches and Washington Sundar ruled out of the series entirely. Despite these setbacks, the hosts are expected to field their strongest available XI, ensuring that key figures such as pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and influential all-rounder Hardik Pandya get valuable match time. The series also carries personal significance for wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson, who will be eager to make the most of these five games after a challenging phase, aiming to cement his place at the top of the batting order.
New Zealand, meanwhile, arrive with confidence boosted by their recent success in the ODI leg, where a second-string side managed to outplay India. The task now is different. With several first-choice players returning from franchise commitments around the world, the focus will be on achieving cohesion quickly. Ensuring that their experienced T20 campaigners adapt seamlessly into the setup and perform in sync will be crucial.
For both teams, the series is less about experimentation and more about precision.
IND vs NZ, T20I Series: Schedule
- 1st T20I: January 21 at Vidarbha Cricket Associaltion Stadium, Nagpur
- 2nd T20I: January 23 at Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur
- 3rd T20I: January 25 at Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati
- 4th T20I: January 28 at ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam
- 5th T20I: January 31 at Greenfield International Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram
*All matches will begin at 7:00 pm IST/ 1:30 pm GMT/ 7:00 pm local
Also READ: Shreyas Iyer or Ishan Kishan? Suryakumar Yadav confirms India’s No. 3 for New Zealand T20Is
Squads
India: Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shreyas Iyer (for 1st 3 T20Is), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Ishan Kishan, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh
New Zealand: Tim Robinson, Devon Conway (wk), Rachin Ravindra, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Kyle Jamieson, Ish Sodhi, Jacob Duffy, Matt Henry, Bevon Jacobs, Kristian Clarke, Zakary Foulkes
Broadcast and Live Streaming details
- India: Star Sports; JioHotstar
- New Zealand: Sky Sport NZ
- USA:
- UK: TNT Sports
- Australia: Fox Cricket
- South Africa: Supersport
- Middle East and North Africa: YuppTV
