Nagpur T20I: NZ to field against India; Ishan Kishan back
What's the story
India and New Zealand are set to clash in the opener of the five-match T20I series at Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur. The series will be India's litmus test before the launch of their ICC T20 World Cup title defense. Notably, both teams have been dealt with injuries to key players. NZ skipper Mitchell Santner has won the toss and elected to field.
India
Ishan, Rinku in India's Playing XI
Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav, on the eve of the series opener, informed that Ishan Kishan will be their No. 3 batter. Meanwhile, the hosts have also included Rinku Singh as their finisher. India (Playing XI): Sanju Samson (wicket-keeper), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, and Jasprit Bumrah.
Information
New Zealand's Playing XI
New Zealand (Playing XI): Tim Robinson, Devon Conway (wicket-keeper), Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner (captain), Kristian Clarke, Kyle Jamieson, Ish Sodhi, and Jacob Duffy.
Details
Pitch report and streaming details
The Nagpur pitch is known for its balanced nature, providing early support to batters while gradually favoring spinners as the game progresses. The red-soil surface usually offers good bounce and pace initially, allowing fast bowlers to extract movement during powerplay overs. One can watch the match live on the Star Sports Network and stream it on the JioHotstar app/website (7:30pm IST).
Record
A look at head-to-head record
As per ESPNcricinfo, the two sides have clashed in 25 T20Is, with India winning 14 of them. This includes a couple of Super-Over wins. Meanwhile, NZ have won 10 matches, with one resulting in a tie. The Black Caps have so far met India 11 times in T20Is on Indian soil. While the hosts won seven times, NZ clinched the other four matches.
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Suryakumar's form in question
Indian captain Suryakumar would like to regain his Midas touch ahead of the all-important T20 World Cup. Notably, he hasn't scored a T20I fifty since November 2024. Since the start of 2025, SKY averages 13.62 with a strike rate of 123.16 in T20Is.