India hammered 271 in the final match of the series.
The reigning champions India will head into the T20 World Cup 2026 on the back of a dominant series victory over New Zealand. The India squad defeated the Black Caps by 4-1 with an astonishing playing style.
The series was a chance for the Suryakumar Yadav-led team to experiment a bit and find the right players for the upcoming event. Here we take a look at five key takeaways for India ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026. Before we move forward, you can check out all the squads and fixtures for this marquee event.
Ishan Kishan carried his domestic form into the New Zealand series and has basically forced his way into the India T20 World Cup 2026 playing XI. The southpaw hammered 76 runs off just 32 deliveries in the second T20I. And went farther in the final game, registering his maiden T20I century. Kishan blasted 103 off 43 balls in Thiruvananthapuram.
Ishan Kishan showed a level of explosiveness perhaps only Abhishek Sharma has. With this performance, Ishan has put himself in a strong position. Someone who can bat at the top as well as middle order, he offers great flexibility to the team.
Sanju Samson had a new lease of life when Shubman Gill was omitted from the India T20 World Cup squad. He was preferred as the designated opener alongside Abhishek but this series has put his spot on the line.
While his teammates displayed fireworks, Samson struggled to get going throughout the series. He opened the innings in all five games, returning with scores of 10, 6, 0, 24, and 6. He had issues against movement and couldn’t handle the pace either, showing worrying signs. As such, head coach Gautam Gambhir and co. could be tempted to play Ishan as opener with Tilak Varma taking the no.3 spot.
Captain Suryakumar Yadav came into the India vs New Zealand series with serious concerns around his batting form. He answered the critics in style with shades of his peak hitting.
SKY was excellent in three of the five games. He smashed 82 not out off 37 in Raipur and followed it up with 57* off 26 in Guwahati. He capped off the series with 63 off 30 in the final game. Finding somewhat of his old touch will be crucial for India’s campaign.
Jasprit Bumrah is India’s bowling spearhead and the best bowler in the world. How India does with the ball in the T20 World Cup 2026 will hinge on how Bumrah performs. And the signs from the recently concluded series weren’t great.
Bumrah took 3 for 17 in Guwahati but managed to pick only one wicket in the other three games he played. In those three games, he conceded at over 11 runs per over, with 58/0 in the final game being his most expensive spell in T20 cricket ever.
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For a while, there were question marks over Shivam Dube’s place in the India playing XI. But those questions seem to have evaporated after his recent performances. Dube has shown smart brains while bowling and delivered with the bat.
Dube struck 36 not out off 18 in Raipur. In Visakhapatnam, he struck 65 off 23 balls after coming in at 63/4. He also took three wickets in three innings that he bowled. All in all, Dube has gained the management’s trust and has probably pushed himself from Hardik Pandya backup to a main XI spot.
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