New Zealand won the toss and elected to bowl first against India in the first T20I at the VCA stadium in Maharashtra on January 21. Ishan Kishan sprung back into India's playing XI, marking an end to 785-year-long wait. Key players including Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Shreyas Iyer, and Ravi Bishnoi have been rested for this series opener. Conversely, New Zealand has handed a T20I debut to Kristian Clarke, the young pacer who recently made waves by finishing as the leading wicket-taker in the preceding ODI series, where he famously dismissed Virat Kohli twice.
What did the captains say after the toss?
New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner, after winning the toss, said:
"We are going to bowl first. Looks 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 won 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. Three seamers. Clarke makes his debut, Jamieson and Duffy are playing as well."
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Meanwhile, India skipper Suryakumar Yadav, after losing the toss, said:
"We were looking to bowl first because we felt there was dew around 8.30 during our practice. But 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."
New Zealand (Playing XI):
Tim Robinson, Devon Conway(w), Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner(c), Kristian Clarke, Kyle Jamieson, Ish Sodhi, Jacob Duffy
India (Playing XI):
Sanju Samson(w), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah
Pitch Report
"It's the start of the T20I series, first of the five games being played at a venue which has hosted the most number of T20Is in India. We are right at the centre of the playing area, 66 metres on either side, straight down it's 76 metres. The square was relayed in 2024 and this is the first T20I since. Looking at the numbers from the past, pretty low-scoring, not an easy surface to bat on. First and foremost, I think they've done a great job relaying the surface. The grass covering all around the block is fantastic. What he's done with this particular pitch, it's about 3 to 4 mils we were just both getting to the head curator here. He left about 3 to 4 mils but there's a lot of cracks in and around it. And when I went down on it earlier, it's just a little bit soft underneath still, I think. I think it'll be quite low and quite slow. I don't think it'll be a really high-scoring affair," Deep Dasgupta and Simon Doull analysed the pitch.
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This series serves as a critical redemption opportunity for the hosts, who are looking to bounce back from a disappointing 1-2 loss in the ODI leg of the tour. India’s primary objective is to build early momentum in the shortest format, especially as this series serves as their final dress rehearsal before the 2026 T20 World Cup begins next month.
All eyes will be on captain Suryakumar Yadav, who is eager to snap out of a prolonged lean patch. After a 2025 season where he failed to record a single T20I half-century, the world’s top-ranked batter is under pressure to rediscover the explosive form that defined his earlier career. Additionally, Ishan Kishan’s return to the national setup is a major talking point; he has been confirmed to bat at the pivotal No. 3 position, stepping in for the injured Tilak Varma as he looks to solidify his place for the upcoming World Cup.