New Zealand (NZ) will be hosting India (IND) in an all-important series with the first T20I set to be played on Thursday, October 22, at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch. The match will get underway at 12:30 PM (Indian Standard Time).
New Zealand haven't played the format for a while and thus, they might face challenges to get themselves accustomed to T20 cricket once again. Moreover, they have lost three out of the last five games they played, which means they aren't in great form either. However, Mitchell Santner's men will be looking to take advantage of the home conditions to come out on top in the series opener.
India, on the other, have been in some seriously good form. They look like an extremely confident side after an unbeaten streak against Afghanistan, Japan, and the West Indies, while also bagging the prized gold medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. Their players are in great form, and thus, the Men in Blue will be looking to take the lead with the first match on Thursday.
NZ vs IND: Match Details
| Match | New Zealand vs India, 1st T20I, India tour of New Zealand 2026 |
| Date and Time (IST) | Thursday, October 22, 2026, 12:30 PM |
| Venue | Hagley Oval, Christchurch |
| Broadcast and Live Streaming | Sony Sports Network Channels, Doordarshan, and SonyLIV (App and Website) |
Hagley Oval, Christchurch: Pitch Report
Historically, the Hagley Oval in Christchurch has made its reputation for being a ground where the team winning the toss is better of after batting first. Only one match out of the last five games played here has went in favour of the chasing team, with three won batting first and one being abandoned due to rain. Keeping the favourable conditions in mind, there could be a flurry of boundaries and sixes on Thursday.
NZ vs IND: Head-to-Head Record in T20Is
| Matches Played | 31 |
| Won by New Zealand | 17 |
| Won by India | 11 |
| No Results | 03 |
| First-ever fixture | September 16, 2007 (New Zealand Won) |
| Most recent fixture | March 08, 2026 (India won) |
NZ vs IND: Predicted Playing 11s
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, Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh
