New Zealand will face India in the opening T20I of India’s tour of New Zealand 2026 at Hagley Oval, Christchurch, on October 22nd. Mitchell Santner will captain the New Zealand team. His recent form has been mixed, but he will be keen to start with a win on home soil. Their batting order is quite strong, with Finn Allen and Tim Seifert set to open the innings.
On the other hand, Shreyas Iyer will lead the Indian side. India’s most recent series against the West Indies ended in a 2–2 draw. Bhuvneshwar Kumar returns for this series, and the Indian team will also take the field with the intention of securing a win.
Also Read: India vs New Zealand 2026: Schedule, Squad and Live Streaming
NZ vs IND Match Details
- Match: New Zealand vs India, 1st T20I
- Date: Thursday, 22nd October 2026
- Time: 12:30 PM IST
- Venue: Hagley Oval, Christchurch
- Live Streaming: Sony LIV
NZ vs IND Pitch Report – Hagley Oval
The surface here will be good for batting, and plenty of runs will be on offer with shorter square boundaries. We expect the average scores to be around 160-180 runs in this match.
NZ vs IND Weather Report – Christchurch
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NZ vs IND Recent Form
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NZ vs IND Head-to-Head T20I Record (Last 10 matches)
NZ vs IND Match Prediction Scenarios – 1st T20I
Scenario 1 – If NZ bats first
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- Powerplay Score Prediction: 50–55 runs
- First Innings Total: 155–170 runs expected
- Result Prediction: India win
Scenario 2 – If IND bats first
- Powerplay Score Prediction: 60–65 runs
- First Innings Total: 180–190 runs expected
- Result Prediction: India win
NZ vs IND: Key Battles
NZ vs IND: Toss Prediction
- Batting first: 60%
- Batting second: 40%
NZ vs IND Probable Playing XI
New Zealand (NZ)
Finn Allen, Tim Seifert (WK), Devon Conway, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (C), Bevon Jacobs, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Kyle Jamieson.
India (IND)
Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Shreyas Iyer (C), Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan (WK), Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Prince Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy.
Who Will Win NZ vs IND Today? – 1st T20I
Based on current form, team balance, and superior batting strength, India are the favourites to win this 1st T20I. Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma are expected to be the key performers.