IND vs NZ: 1st T20I Preview – Teams seek a fresh start

New Zealand is scheduled to host India for a limited-overs series and the first T20I takes place at the Wellington regional stadium on Friday (November 18). This will be a huge test for the Indian young side that will be led by Hardik Pandya in the absence of Rohit Sharma and will also start as the preparation for the next T20 World Cup 2024.

Shubman Gill has earned his maiden-call up for the T20I side and there are high chances of Rishabh Pant being used as the opener in the series given his struggles in the middle order. Umran Malik has come into the squad with his raw pace and India has a lot of exciting options under their belt.

On the other hand, the Kiwis will miss the services of experienced Trent Boult while veteran Martin Guptill has been dropped. Finn Allen, who impressed in the T20 World Cup, has been given the nod while the bowling attack has been loaded with a lot of pace. All eyes will be on Kane Williamson, especially with his batting approach which has been a talking point in recent times.

Weather Conditions and Pitch behaviour

The Wellington Regional Stadium has hosted 19 T20 games and the average score is about 150-160 at the venue. Bowling first has been the preferred option for the skipper winning the toss as it is not an easy ground to defend.

Current form (Last 5 T20Is)

India – L, W, W, L, W

New Zealand – L, W, L, W, W

Venue city – Wellington Regional Stadium

Playing Combinations

India

Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Washington Sundar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal

New Zealand

Finn Allen, Devon Conway (wk), Kane Williamson (c), Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Adam Milne, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson