NZ vs IND, 1st T20I: Head to Head, Playing XI, Preview, Where to Watch on TV, Online, and Live Streaming Details

Both teams will be hoping to bounce back from their disappointing T20 WC campaign with a victory in the series opener.

Published - 17 Nov 2022, 14:20 IST | Updated - 17 Nov 2022, 14:20 IST

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A new-look Indian side led by Hardik Pandya will take on New Zealand in the first of three T20Is in Wellington on November 18. The two losing semi-finalists of this year's recently concluded T20 World Cup in Australia will look to bury the hatchet of the past with a statement win in the series opener.

Mercurial Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya has been entrusted to galvanize the side following their disappointing T20 WC campaign in the absence of regular skipper Rohit Sharma, opener KL Rahul, star batter Virat Kohli and pacer Mohammed Shami. He will lead a young Indian team against the Kiwis in testing conditions.

Meanwhile, the Kiwis will be eyeing revenge for the 5-0 drubbing, dished out by India, the last time they played a T20I series on these shores.

Pitch Conditions

The batters are likely to feast on a batting-friendly surface in Wellington in the series opener. The bowlers will get minimal support from the pitch and will be in for a challenging task against the shorter boundaries on offer for the batters, who need no second invitation in the shortest format of the game.

Playing Combinations for NZ vs IND

New Zealand

An underwhelming finish to the T20 World Cup meant that the Kiwis went empty-handed yet again from an ICC event in the limited-overs. Kane Williamson has got a couple of exciting talents on his team who can lead the Blackcaps into a glorious future. Even though they have dropped veteran cricketers Trent Boult and Martin Guptill from the squad, they have got a pretty solid-looking team heading into the T20I series.

Predicted Playing XI: Finn Allen, Devon Conway (wk), Kane Williamson (c), Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Lockie Ferguson, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Adam Milne

India

Labeled as the captain of the future, Hardik Pandya has got the responsibility of leading a young Indian team in the absence of key senior members against the Kiwis. The Men in Blue came under scrutiny for their lack of intensity at the top of the order in the T20 WC and have been urged to play fearless cricket in the upcoming series.

Predicted Playing XI: Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Sanju Samson, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umran Malik