New Zealand will face India in the first T20I at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Thursday evening. India arrives with limited preparation after a long flight, lacking key players Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya. The team managed only one training session since landing in New Zealand.
Captain Shreyas Iyer, now leading India for the second series, is eager to avoid a repeat of earlier this year when the team lost 2-0 to Ireland, marking their first defeat to that nation in any format.
New Zealand, captained by Mitchell Santner, is expected to be at near full strength for the first time since the World Cup final in March, with Finn Allen set to play a T20 at home for the first time since March 2025.
The conditions at Hagley Oval will likely be cold when the match starts at 8 p.m. local time, which could favor New Zealand’s bowlers, including Jacob Duffy, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, and Kyle Jamieson.
With India’s bowling plan possibly unsettled due to the absence of spinners, New Zealand’s mix of pace bowlers could play a crucial role in the match. Officials and analysts predict New Zealand will have the upper hand.
Pitch Report for Hagley Oval
The following statistics cover T20 matches played at Hagley Oval:
| Stat | Record |
| Total Matches | 19 |
| Matches Won Batting First | 9 |
| Matches Won Bowling First | 10 |
| Average 1st Innings Score | 159 |
| Average 2nd Innings Score | 129 |
| Highest Total Recorded | 236/4 by England vs. New Zealand |
| Lowest Total Recorded | 32/10 by Bangladesh Women vs. New Zealand Women |
| Highest Score Chased | 177/3 by Pakistan vs. Bangladesh |
| Lowest Score Defended | 134/8 by Pakistan vs. New Zealand |
Head-to-Head Record
| Record | India | New Zealand |
| Matches | 31 | 31 |
| Won | 19 | 11 |
| Lost | 11 | 19 |
| No Result | 0 | 0 |
| Tied | 1 | 1 |
| Home Wins | 12 | 4 |
| Away Wins | 7 | 5 |
| Neutral Wins | 0 | 2 |
Predicted Lineups
Here are the anticipated lineups for both teams:
New Zealand
Finn Allen, Tim Seifert (wk), Devon Conway, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Nathan Smith, Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson.
India
Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Prince Yadav, Arshdeep Singh.
How to Watch
The match will be broadcast on Sony Sports and available for streaming via Dafabet. Fans can tune in to catch the action from Hagley Oval.
