India have won their last two T20I series in New Zealand and will aim to continue that run. However, the pace-friendly conditions and the absence of key players could make the opening match a challenging test.
India’s most recent T20I match on New Zealand soil came in 2022 in Napier. The rain-hit game ended in a tie under the Duckworth-Lewis method. India, however, won the series after claiming victory in the only match that was not affected by bad weather.
Only four batters in India’s current squad have previously played T20Is in New Zealand. They are captain Iyer, Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson and Shivam Dube.
Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma and 15-year-old sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi bring plenty of firepower to the batting line-up. However, they will need to adjust to the nippy weather and conditions that can help seam bowlers.
For Iyer, the series offers an opportunity to prove himself in difficult overseas conditions. His tenure as captain began with back-to-back defeats in Ireland and England.
Squads
India: Shreyas Iyer (c), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Dhir, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav.
New Zealand: Mitchell Santner (c), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Bevon Jacobs, Kyle Jamieson, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Tim Seifert, Nathan Smith.
