Left-handed wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan has returned to the India T20I side for the first time since 2023. With Shubman Gill omitted, Sanju Samson returns as the opener alongside an in-form Abhishek Sharma.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The series comes ahead of the T20 World Cup starting on February 7 in India and Sri Lanka, where the Suryakumar Yadav-led side enter as defending champions. \u201cWe were looking to bowl first because we felt there was dew around 8:30pm during our practice.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cBut we don't mind putting runs on the board and we have done well batting first. Shreyas, Harshit, Bishnoi and Kuldeep are the ones who are missing out,\u201d said Suryakumar, who\u2019s playing his 100th T20I game.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Earlier this month, New Zealand defeated India in an ODI series on Indian soil for the first time. \u201cLooks like a pretty good wicket and looks pretty high-scoring. Last week was pretty special. Every team knows how hard it is to come to India and win. But this is a fresh series and they are a tough team in home conditions. Great start for us in terms of prep for the World Cup,\u201d said skipper Mitchell Santner.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
In their pitch report, Simon Doull and Deep Dasgupta said conditions in Nagpur would favour bowlers, describing the surface as low-scoring and slow. \u201cThis venue has hosted the most T20I games in India. Pretty low-scoring pitch. They've relayed the surface well. There are a lot of cracks around it. It's soft underneath.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cWill be a low, slow pitch. Last time NZ were here, it turned quite a bit, not tonight. Cracks are wide, so the ball will do a bit to find edges. Dew not much. Would still like to chase if you won the toss,\u201d said Doull and Dasgupta.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Playing XIs<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cWill be a low, slow pitch. Last time NZ were here, it turned quite a bit, not tonight. Cracks are wide, so the ball will do a bit to find edges. Dew not much. Would still like to chase if you won the toss,\u201d said Doull and Dasgupta.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
New Zealand: Tim Robinson, Devon Conway (wicketkeeper), Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner (captain), Kristian Clarke, Kyle Jamieson, Ish Sodhi, and Jacob Duffy<\/p>\r\n\r\n