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The five-match series is down to its final destinations as New Zealand (NZ) and India (IND) have checked in to Hamilton to cross swords in the fifth T20I, which is set to be played at the Seddon Park on Sunday, November 01. The series line currently reads 3-1, with the visiting Indian team already winning bragging rights.
New Zealand finally got a win under their belt by winning the fourth encounter. They beat the Men in Blue by a mammoth 87-run margin in Auckland, which also happened to be the second-worst defeat for the side in the format. The Mitchell Santner-led side, although with a series loss against their name already, will now be looking to sign off the series on a winning note.
India, on the other hand, saw their bowlers at the mercy of the BlackCaps batting attack in the Friday fixture. Their batters also felt the heat of the 260-run target and lost wickets at regular intervals before eventually getting bundled out for 172. While they have the series in their pocket, Shreyas Iyer & Co. would want to end it with a fourth win.
NZ vs IND: Match Details
| Match | New Zealand vs India, 5th T20I, India tour of New Zealand 2026 |
| Date and Time (IST) | Sunday, November 01, 2026, 12:30 PM |
| Venue | Seddon Park, Hamilton |
| Broadcast and Live Streaming | Sony Sports Network Channels and SonyLIV (App and Website) |
Seddon Park, Hamilton: Pitch Report
Seddon Park in Hamilton has been famous for its bowling-friendly pitches over the years. Recently, it has been the trend that the surface here gets difficult to bat on as the match progresses, with run chases being extremely difficult. In the last three matches played in the format at this venue, all the matches have been defended successfully. Thus, the team winning the toss on Sunday should look to set a huge target in the first innings and rely on their bowlers to defend the target.
NZ vs IND: Head-to-Head Record in T20Is
| Matches Played | 35 |
| Won by New Zealand | 18 |
| Won by India | 14 |
| No Results | 03 |
| First-ever fixture | September 16, 2007 (New Zealand won) |
| Most recent fixture | October 30, 2026 (New Zealand won) |
NZ vs IND: Probable Playing 11s
New Zealand
Finn Allen, Tim Seifert (WK), Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Bevon Jacobs, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (C), Nathan Smith, Matt Henry, Adam Milne, Jacob Duffy
India
Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (C), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Dhir, Axar Patel, Prince Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Mayank Yadav
NZ vs IND: Probable Best Performers of the Match
Probable Best Batter: Glenn Phillips
Dynamic all-rounder Glenn Phillips has been the most vital cog for the BlackCaps in this series. With 276 runs to his name in four games thus far, Phillips is the highest-run getter, with his runs coming at an average of 92.00. He also already smashed a couple of half-centuries in addition to his ravishing century in the preceding encounter that also earned him the Player of the Match award.
Probable Best Bowler: Mayank Yadav
Express pacer Mayank Yadav got his second opportunity in the series during the Auckland meeting, and he made it count by picking a brilliant three-wicket haul. Although he has been a bit on the expensive side, his ability to strike breakthroughs has helped him stay relevant in India's bowling attack. With Bhuvneshwar Kumar likely to be rested once again, Mayank might want to capitalise onto his chances in the series finale.
