IND vs NZ, 1st T20I: Hardik Pandya elects to field
After a thrilling ODI series, India and New Zealand are set to lock horns in the 1st of the three-T20I series. Having clinched the ODI leg 3-0, the Men in Blue would be high on confidence and would like to extend their sensational run on home soil. Indian captain Hardik Pandya has won the toss and elected to field first.
Gill, Ishan to open for India
New Zealand (Playing XI): Finn Allen, Devon Conway (wicket-keeper), Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner (captain), Michael Bracewell, Jacob Duffy, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson, Blair Tickner. India (Playing XI): Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Shubman Gill, Rahul Tripathi, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya (captain), Deepak Hooda, Washington Sundar, Shivam Mavi, Kuldeep Yadav, Umran Malik, Arshdeep Singh.
Pitch report, timing, and broadcast details
The JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi will host the duel on Friday (January 27). Three T20Is have been played at the venue, with the average first-innings score being 155. The chasing sides have won two games here. The match will be telecast live on Star Sports Network (7:00 PM IST) and live-streamed on the Disney+Hotstar app (paid subscription).
Here's the head-to-head record
India and New Zealand are neck-to-neck in terms of head-to-head record. The two sides have clashed in 22 T20Is, with India winning 12 of them. NZ have won nine, while one resulted in a tie. The Men in Blue routed the Kiwis 1-0 in their last bilateral T20I assignment, in 2022. NZ last won a bilateral T20I series versus India in 2019.
A look at the star performers
Suryakumar Yadav has been sensational in T20Is, having mustered 1,578 runs at a strike rate of 180.34. With 90 wickets in 74 matches, Yuzvendra Chahal is India's joint-highest wicket-taker in T20Is. Glenn Phillips accumulated 716 T20I runs last year at 44.75, striking at 156.33. With 22 wickets in 17 games, Ish Sodhi is the highest wicket-taker versus India in T20Is.
