IND vs NZ: New Zealand have done the unthinkable on Indian soil in recent times. At first, they won their maiden Test series win in India. Now, they have added their first-ever ODI series victory in the country. The scoreline reads India 1-2 New Zealand, but the margin feels bigger when one looks at how consistently the visitors outplayed the hosts.
What makes this achievement even more remarkable is the absence of several senior players. New Zealand travelled without Kane Williamson, Mitchell Santner, Tom Latham, Rachin Ravindra, and Jacob Duffy for most of the ODI series. Despite that, their younger players stepped up the ante and delivered the goods when it mattered the most.
On the other hand, the bowling unit, though inexperienced, executed plans with discipline, whereas the batting group showed composure under pressure.
In Vadodara, India had to work hard to secure their lone win. New Zealand were calm and clinical during the chase in Rajkot. In Indore, even without Michael Bracewell’s bowling, they found a way to restrict a powerful Indian batting lineup on a surface that favoured batters. It was smart cricket, played with intent and belief.
With the ODI series now done, attention shifts quickly to the shortest format. The T20 World Cup is less than three weeks away, and both teams will use this five-match T20I series to fine-tune combinations.
Team India will look to bounce back and regain momentum. On the contrary, the Kiwis will aim to carry forward their confidence and continue troubling the hosts. It will be quite interesting to see how the T20I opener pans out.
IND vs NZ 1st T20I: Match Date, Time and Venue
The opening match of the India vs. New Zealand T20I series will kick off on January 21, 2026, Wednesday, at 7:00 PM IST. The toss is expected to take place at 6:30 PM IST. The game will be staged at the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) Stadium in Nagpur.
IND vs NZ 1st T20I: Pitch Report and India’s record
Nagpur has a long history with T20 cricket. This venue has hosted matches since December 2009. This includes several international fixtures apart from India games. The last T20I at this venue was played in 2022 between India and Australia, where India registered a comfortable six-wicket win.
The pitch in Nagpur has traditionally offered balanced conditions. Batters can score freely once set, but bowlers are never out of the game. The surface usually provides good bounce, which helps fast bowlers early on. In recent times, spinners have also found assistance, especially as the match progresses. Captains winning the toss may prefer to chase, keeping dew in mind.
In terms of record, India have played five T20Is at the VCA Stadium and have won three of them. That gives the hosts a slight edge going into the contest.
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IND vs NZ T20I Series: Live Streaming Details
The India vs. New Zealand T20I series will be live streamed on the JioHotstar app and website. Viewers will need an active subscription to access the full live coverage.
For television audiences, the matches will be broadcast live on the Star Sports Network channels across India.
Squads
India T20I Squad:
Suryakumar Yadav (Captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (Vice-Captain), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Washington Sundar, Ishan Kishan (WK)
New Zealand T20I Squad:
Mitchell Santner (Captain), 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
