3rd T20I preview: NZ, WI to fight for series lead
What's the story
New Zealand and West Indies are all set to clash in the third match of their five-match T20I series at Saxton Oval, Nelson on Sunday (November 9). The series is currently leveled at 1-1 after the Black Caps won the second match by three runs. Mark Chapman was instrumental in New Zealand's victory, scoring a quickfire 78 runs off just 28 balls. Meanwhile, the opening affair went in WI's favor. Here is the preview of the third match.
Game specifics
Pitch report and streaming details
The Saxton Oval pitch in Nelson is known to be a batting-friendly surface, often resulting in high scores in T20I cricket. It offers good pace and bounce, enabling batters to time their shots well. However, spinners could get some assistance as the match progresses. While the Sony Sports Network will broadcast the match live in India, its streaming will be available on the SonyLiv app and website. The match has a start time of 5:45am IST.
Series overview
How has the series panned out so far?
In the first match of the series, New Zealand lost to West Indies by seven runs despite a good batting display from Mitchell Santner. However, they made a strong comeback in the second match with Chapman's explosive innings and stellar bowling performances from Ish Sodhi and Mitchell Santner, who took three wickets each. The two teams are now aiming to take a lead in the series.
H2H
Here's the head-to-head record
In their T20I history, New Zealand and West Indies have clashed 22 times, as per ESPNcricinfo. The Black Caps have won 12 of those encounters, while the Windies have emerged victorious on eight occasions (NR: 2). As many as three games were determined with either super over or bowl-out. At home, the Kiwis have eight wins and two defeats against WI.
Team line-ups
A look at the predicted playing XIs
New Zealand (Probable XI): Tim Robinson, Devon Conway (wk), Rachin Ravindra, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Zakary Foulkes, Kyle Jamieson, Ish Sodhi, Jacob Duffy. West Indies (Probable XI): Brandon King, Alick Athanaze, Shai Hope (c & wk), Roston Chase, Ackeem Auguste, Rovman Powell, Jason Holder, Romario Shepherd, Matthew Forde, Akeal Hosein, Jayden Seales.
Stats
Here are the key performers
With 1,635 runs at 40.87, Shai Hope is the leading run-getter in T20 cricket in 2025. Jason Holder's tally of 83 T20 wickets at 21.95 is the most for any bowler in 2025. Mark Chapman has also been in good form this year, hammering 543 T20 runs at a brilliant strike rate of 147.15. Santner has been brilliant across departments in T20Is this year, taking nine wickets at an economy of 8.27 besides scoring 133 runs (SR: 190).
Poll
