IND vs NZ Nagpur T20I: The five-match T20 international series between India and New Zealand has started in Nagpur. In the first match of the series, New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner has won the toss and decided to bowl first. This clearly means that Team India led by Suryakumar Yadav will have to score a big score while batting first and then the challenge will be to defend it.

This match is special in many ways, because both the teams have come on the field with the intention of testing their combination before the T20 World Cup 2026. Some important and surprising changes have been seen in the playing-11 of the Indian team. Star wicketkeeper batsman Ishan Kishan has returned to the T20 team after more than two years, while Sanju Samson is also a part of the playing eleven. That means Team India is playing with two wicketkeeper batsmen in this match.

Talking about team combination, India has shown confidence in its batting and all-round options. Three regular all-rounders in Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel and Shivam Dubey are giving balance to the team. In the bowling department, Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh will handle the pace attack, while the spin will be in the hands of the mysterious Varun Chakravarthy.

This series is also considered very important personally for Suryakumar Yadav. His performance as captain and with the bat can greatly influence the team management’s plans in the coming months. On the other hand, New Zealand will be eyeing to take the lead in the series by creating pressure in the opening match.

India’s playing-11

Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel (vice-captain), Varun Chakraborty, Shivam Dubey, Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh.

There are options like Shreyas Iyer, Harshit Rana, Ravi Bishnoi and Kuldeep Yadav on the bench.

New Zealand’s playing-11

In the New Zealand team, Tim Robinson and Devon Conway (wicketkeeper) will open the batting, while Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips and Mark Chapman will strengthen the middle order. Experienced Daryl Mitchell is an important pillar of the team and all-rounder Mitchell Santner will play the role of captain. The bowling responsibility will be on Kyle Jamieson, Ish Sodhi and Jacob Duffy, while Christian Clarke provides additional options to the team.

There are players like James Neesham, Michael Bracewell, Matt Henry, Bevan Jacobs and Zachary Foulkes on the bench, who can be included in the playing eleven in the future matches if needed.