India National Cricket Team vs New Zealand National Cricket Team Match: India will face New Zealand in the first T20 International of the five-match series at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur, Wednwsday, January 21, 2026. The match will be India’s first T20 International of 2026 and an important step in preparations for the upcoming T20 World Cup.
Led by Suryakumar Yadav, India enter the series in strong form. The hosts are coming off an unbeaten Asia Cup campaign, a 2-1 T20I series win in Australia and a dominant 3-1 home series victory over South Africa. With form and home conditions on their side, India will aim to make a strong start.
New Zealand, however, arrive as a competitive unit. They recently secured a 3-1 T20I series win against the West Indies and bring a balanced squad with experience across departments.
Squads
India T20I Squad vs New Zealand
Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Shreyas Iyer (first three T20Is), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (vice-capt), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ishan Kishan (wk), Ravi Bishnoi.
New Zealand T20I Squad vs India
Mitchell Santner (c), 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, Kristian Clarke.
IND vs NZ 1st T20I: Probable Playing XIs
India: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy
New Zealand: Tim Robinson, Devon Conway (wk), Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, James Neesham, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner (c), Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy, Ish Sodhi
Pitch Report
The Nagpur pitch is known to produce high-scoring T20 matches. Batters are expected to enjoy good bounce, while bowlers may get some movement early with the new ball. Spinners could come into play as the match progresses, and dew is likely to affect the second innings, making chasing easier.
Weather Forecast
Weather conditions are expected to be clear on match day. The temperature during the match is likely to be around 22 degrees Celsius, with humidity close to 50 percent. Rain is not expected to interrupt play.
Live Streaming Details
In India, the series will be televised on the Star Sports Network. Live streaming will be available on the JioHotstar app and website with a subscription. In New Zealand, the matches will be broadcast on Sky Sport.