Fantasy tips for 1st T20I between India and New Zealand.
After the ODI series, which India lost 2-1 to New Zealand, attention now shifts to the five match T20I series. Here is our IND vs NZ Dream11 Prediction for the first T20I, to be played at the VCA Stadium, Nagpur.
India may not be in good form in ODIs, but they have been impressive in T20Is, winning every series since their T20 World Cup 2024 triumph. Recently, they beat South Africa 3-1. With the T20 World Cup 2026 set to be played at home, this will be their last series before the tournament, and they will be aiming to carry strong form into the event.
On the other hand, New Zealand have won only one of their last three T20I series. They beat West Indies 3-1 in the previous series but had earlier losses against England and Australia. However, after winning the ODI series against India despite missing several key players, they will head into this series with confidence. This will also be their final series before the T20 World Cup 2026.
India: Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Axar Patel, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy.
New Zealand: Devon Conway (wk), Tim Robinson, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner (c), Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Jacob Duffy.
The pitch at Nagpur has supported both batters and bowlers, as it is not a high scoring venue. Out of the 13 T20Is played here, nine have been won by teams batting first, while four have been won by teams chasing.
The temperature is expected to be around 21–22°C, with no chance of rain.
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India look stronger on paper and are in good form in T20Is. However, after New Zealand beat them in the ODI series, anything can happen. Still, India are expected to have the edge.
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