India take on New Zealand for the 1st T20I on Wednesday, January 21
India enter the series on the back of 1-2 ODI series loss against New Zealand
Check the match prediction and head-to-head win/loss record
With the ODI series scalped by the visitors, India and New Zealand lock horns for the five-match T20I series starting from January 21. The ICC T20 World Cup 2026 is now only days away and both teams are eyeing to settle their combinations for one final time before the mega encounter.
India are coming out of a dominant T20I series victory against New Zealand. They lost only one match in the five-match series. Hardik Pandya looked in great touch while the real menace for the opposition was India's bowling led by the crafty Varun Chakravarthy.
New Zealand, meanwhile, have just achieved an iconic feat by winning their first ODI series in India. They played a team with youngsters like Kristian Clarke, Zak Foulkes in it. Despite that, they managed to trump the star-studded Indian side. With Jacob Duffy, Matt Henry back in the squad, they will enter the match with more confidence.
The Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur is known for its slightly sluggish nature. India have a 2-2 win-loss record in the four fixtures they've played at the venue. A black soil pitch might be on offer and that would mean the spinners will come into play.
India Vs New Zealand 1st T20I: Head-To-Head Twenty20 Internationals Record
Total matches - 25
India Wins - 15
New Zealand Wins - 10
No Results - 0
India Vs New Zealand 1st T20I: Match Prediction
The exceptional bowling quality of both sides points toward an evenly contested fixture in Nagpur. Nevertheless, the Google win predictor currently favors the home team, with India holding a 74% chance of victory against New Zealand's 26%.
