Can New Zealand finally crack India in T20I series?
New Zealand have a never won a T20I series against India in India, but will look to change history as full-strength sides meet ahead of the T20 World Cup
Karthik Krishnaswamy
20-Jan-2026 • 2 hrs ago
Arshdeep Singh could join the pace attack alongside Jasprit Bumrah if India avoid a spin-heavy approach • AFP/Getty Images
Big picture - Last hurdle before World Cup
New Zealand have pulled off series wins over India in India for the first time in Tests and ODIs in the span of just over a year. Can they pull off a first in a proper T20I series too, discounting the one-off match they won in 2012? They've had two previous attempts, in 2017 and 2023. Both were three-match series, both went into deciders, and both times India finished 2-1 up.
All this lends this five-match series plenty of spice even before you throw in the fact that it's the last series for both teams before the T20 World Cup.
Both teams missed key players during the ODIs. However, they will be at or near full strength during the T20Is. Regular white-ball captain Mitchell Santner is back for New Zealand, as are the likes of Rachin Ravindra, Matt Henry and Jacob Duffy. Jasprit Bumrah is back for India, as are the two key allrounders they missed so much during the ODIs: Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel.
India have won eight bilateral T20I series back-to-back since winning the T20 World Cup in June 2024. They have a 29-5 record in the format (including two Super-Over wins) since that final in Bridgetown. They aren't without worries, but they are as formidable and complete as any international T20 team can realistically hope to be.
But they haven't faced New Zealand, their bogey team across formats, for close to two years in T20Is. And New Zealand invariably have something up their sleeve when they face India. What will it be this time?
Form guide
India WWLWW (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
New Zealand WWWLL
New Zealand WWWLL
In the spotlight - Axar Patel and Tim Robinson
New Zealand outspun India in the ODI series, and New Zealand's batters outperformed India's batters by disrupting the spinners. In both those contexts, Axar Patel, who returns after being rested for the ODIs, could be a crucial player for India: a tall, quick, stump-seeking spinner who can be hard to sweep, and a vital member of their middle order as someone who specialises in going after spin.
Tim Robinson scored a superb maiden T20I hundred against Australia last year, leading New Zealand to a total of 181 from a slippery 6 for 3, and was impressive during the home series against West Indies in November, striking at 160.52 in the powerplay. Robinson isn't part of New Zealand's T20 World Cup squad, but he knows a good series against India will keep him in contention should eleventh-hour injuries create an opening.
Team news
India captain Suryakumar Yadav has confirmed that Ishan Kishan, and not Shreyas Iyer, will take the place of the injured Tilak Varma. That leaves the question of who slots in at No. 8 between batting allrounder Shivam Dube and bowling allrounder Harshit Rana. If Nagpur provides a dry, grippy pitch such as the one these two teams played their T20 World Cup match on in 2016, India might think of playing both their wristspinners.
India (probable): 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Sanju Samson (wk), 3 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 4 Shreyas Iyer/Ishan Kishan, 5 Hardik Pandya, 6 Axar Patel, 7 Rinku Singh, 8 Harshit Rana/Shivam Dube, 9 Arshdeep Singh/Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Varun Chakravarthy
Michael Bracewell, who is recovering from the calf strain that kept him from bowling during the third ODI on Sunday, is an unlikely starter for New Zealand. Glenn Phillips, who missed New Zealand's last T20I series against West Indies because of a groin injury, should slot straight back into the XI. He will likely displace James Neesham, who could still feature in the eleven due to Bracewell's absence.
New Zealand (probable): 1 Tim Robinson, 2 Devon Conway (wk), 3 Rachin Ravindra, 4 Daryl Mitchell, 5 Glenn Phillips, 6 Mark Chapman, 7 James Neesham, 8 Mitchell Santner (capt), 9 Matt Henry, 10 Ish Sodhi, 11 Jacob Duffy
Pitch and conditions
Nagpur has one of the biggest outfields among Indian venues, and often has something in it for the spinners even in white-ball cricket. Of all grounds in India that have hosted at least five T20Is, spinners have the second-best average (20.82) at the VCA Stadium - behind only Dehradun, where India have never played and which has served as a home ground for Afghanistan - and the fourth-best economy rate (6.7).
The weather on Wednesday is expected to be pleasant and dry, with evening temperatures in the low 20s (Celsius).
Stats and trivia
- These two teams have met once before in Nagpur, during the 2016 T20 World Cup, when New Zealand boldly left out their first-choice pace trio, picked three spinners, and bowled India out for 79.
- Kuldeep Yadav (13.17) has the best average among all Full-Member bowlers with at least 50 T20I wickets.
- The top seven in that list are all spinners, with Varun Chakravarthy in fifth place at 14.87.
- Lockie Ferguson (17.00), who could join New Zealand's squad towards the back end of this series, and Jacob Duffy (17.05) are among the three best-averaging fast bowlers, with only Umar Gul (16.97) above them.
- Hardik Pandya is one of only five allrounders to complete the Men's T20I double of 2000 runs and 100 wickets.
- Glenn Phillips is 71 runs away from becoming the fourth New Zealand batter to 2000 in Men's T20Is.
Karthik Krishnaswamy is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo