Nagpur

India’s T20 skipper Suryakumar Yadav faces a crucial test as the five-match series against New Zealand begins on Wednesday. The series serves as a final tune-up before India defends its T20 World Cup title in less than three weeks.

Since taking over in 2024, Suryakumar has led India to an impressive 72% winning record. However, his own batting form has been underwhelming, with 2025 producing just 218 runs from 19 games. The series offers him a chance to regain momentum ahead of the World Cup, especially with Tilak Varma’s fitness uncertain, making the No.3 and No.4 slots pivotal.

India welcome back Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah, bolstering the team’s balance and firepower. Spinner Varun Chakravarthy remains the key X-factor, expected to turn matches in India’s favour with his middle-over spells.

New Zealand, led by Mitchell Santner, boast a strong T20 side with Devon Conway, Daryl Mitchell, and Glenn Phillips, making this a high-stakes encounter for both teams. India will rely on Abhishek Sharma’s explosive starts and Suryakumar’s leadership to set the tone.

Match starts at 7 pm.

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Probable Indian XI: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy.

Probable New Zealand XI: Mitchell Santner (c), Devon Conway, Bevon Jacobs, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Tim Robinson, Jimmy Neesham, Ish Sodhi, Zak Foulkes, Mark Chapman, Jacob Duffy.