India face New Zealand in 1st match of the five-game T20I series in Nagpur
India enter the series on the back of 1-2 ODI series loss against New Zealand
Check live streaming and other details below
India and New Zealand will cross swords against each other in the 1st match of the five-game T20I series on Wednesday, January 21 at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur. Watch the T20 cricket match live.
The Men in Blue are eyeing some good preparation for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026 in this series. They are entering the series after suffering a disappointing loss against New Zealand. The visitors came back from behind to clinch series victory by a margin of 2-1.
However, India will need to manage injury concerns, notably with Tilak Varma recovering from injury. Tilak has been one of the mainstays of the T20I squad of Team India and him being uncertain for the T20 World Cup means the team management will have selection decisions to make.
For New Zealand, they have gained solid confidence after winning their first ODI series in India. The Kiwis have time and again been underdogs who stood up under pressure.
In the T20I series, they will depend on the performance of in-form Daryl Mitchell and seniors like Devon Conway, Glenn Phillips and Michael Bracewell. Jacob Duffy and Matt Henry's inclusion in the bowling lineup could make them more lethal than they were in the ODI series.
India Vs New Zealand, 1st T20I: Weather Report
The forecast for Nagpur on January 21 looks largely dry but the skies will stay partly cloudy in the evening. Cloudy sky and cool temperatures likely through the evening, often hovering around 21-22°C, which is common for the region this time of year. Overall, rain isn’t expected to be a factor, so fans can look forward to full 20-over action under clear skies and without any interruption.
India Vs New Zealand, 1st T20I: Pitch Report
The Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium pitch in Nagpur is expected to favour spinners with its slightly slow and tacky nature. First-innings scores often cross 160, making it a moderate-scoring venue.
It is a red-soil surface, so pacers may find movement and bounce with the new ball, but conditions gradually slow down, bringing the spinners and variation bowlers into play. Spinners can influence the middle overs, given the boundaries are bigger than most Indian venues.
India Vs New Zealand, 1st T20I: Live Streaming
New Zealand's entire white-ball tour of India, including the five-match T20I series, will be aired live on the JioHotstar app/website and the Star Sports network.
India Vs New Zealand, 1st T20I: Squads
India: Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shreyas Iyer, 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
