Among the five-match T20I series India and New ZealandBeginning on January 21, 2026, this serves as the final senior training for the program. T20 World Cup 2026. India will enter this series after a historic ODI series loss to the Kiwis on home soil and will make a comeback in the morally important shortest format.
under his leadership Suryakumar YadavThe Men in Blue will look to use their home advantage in Nagpur, Raipur and Guwahati in the first three games. Withdrawal due to injury Tilak Varma and Washington Sundarsees the return of the staff Shreyas Iyer and Ravi Bishnoi. This streak isn’t just about the trophy; it is about finalizing the combinations for India’s title defense starting next month. The focus will be on an explosive opening pair and a solid middle order against a solid New Zealand side.
India’s ideal XI in the first 3 matches against New Zealand
1. Abhishek Sharma (Opener): He is currently the most feared player in T20Is, holding the world record ranking in late 2025. It was recently demolished. Bangladesh and Pakistan with aggressive intent, maintaining a career strikeout rate of 188.03. 135 vs. his performances in the last two T20I series England and high impact 41 vs South Africacementing his role as the primary Powerplay attacker.
2. Sanju Samson (WK/Open): Samson enters the series at the end of 2024 as the only Indian to score back-to-back T20I centuries. Despite a few low scores at the start of 2025, his current form has been excellent, scoring a quick half-century of 37(22) in his last T20I outing and the Asia Cup. His latest stats show a career average of 25.80 with a strike rate of 148.06, thriving in a high-risk opening role.
3. Suryakumar Yadav (C): The captain is looking to break the lean patch during 2025, scoring just 218 runs in 19 T20Is. Despite the drop in personal score, his lead remains at the peak with a 72% win rate. His last two notable scores were 24 in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and 26 in the T20I against South Africa, making this series crucial for his rhythm.
4. Shreyas Iyer: Iyer, who made his T20I comeback after two years, replaces the injured Varma. He is in red-hot form, smashing 82 off 53 balls in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. His previous T20I experience (51 matches, 136.12 SR) and recent success leading Punjab Kings to the IPL 2025 final makes him the perfect middle-order anchor.
5. Hardik Pandya: Pandya is currently the 4th ranked T20I all-rounder in the world and played a major role in India’s 2025 Champions Trophy victory. Its present form prevails; he was an Impact Player in recent domestic games and has a career T20I bowling average of 26.00. In the last T20I series against South Africaflexing his batting muscles led India to a 3-1 win.
6. Rinku Singh: A clear finisher, Rinku scores an amazing 123.66 in the ongoing 2025/26 domestic season. His recent T20I performances included a match-winning partnership Rohit Sharma vs. in 2024 Afghanistan and a career average of 42.30. His latest tally is 57 unbeaten from 30 Uttar Pradesh against Vidarbha in Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26it remains fully intact for the deaths proving its clutch prowess.
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7. Akhar Patel (VC): The newly appointed vice-captain is at the peak of his all-round powers, recently scoring 73 off 60 balls and taking 3/14. Gujarat against Odisha in Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 . In T20Is, he is the 10th-ranked all-rounder with 82 wickets at an economy rate of 6.85. His last major T20I success was a game-changing spell in the 2024 T20 World Cup Final.
8. Harshit Rana: Rana is the rising star of 2026, fresh off his first international ODI fifty and a 3-wicket haul. New Zealand a few days ago. Since his T20I debut against England in early 2025, he has impressed with his genuine pace and bounce. His recent domestic form includes an unbeaten 122, making him a dangerous lower-order batting threat at #8.
9. Jasprit Bumrah: Returning to the XI as the leader of the attack, Bumrah remains a top-order threat despite having an “off day” in his last outing against South Africa (0/45). He recently became the second Indian to reach 100 in all three formats and his career T20I economy remains world-class. He will look to use the Nagpur bounce to regain his usual accuracy.
10. Arshdeep Singh: The leading left-arm seamer has 110 T20I wickets as of January 2026. Although he struggled with wide wickets in the last series against the Proteas (conceding 54 runs), his current form with the new ball remains elite. He recently showed his readiness for the T20I format by taking 3/63 in the ODI phase of the current New Zealand tour.
11. Varun Chakraborty: Currently the World No. 1 T20I bowler with a rating of 804, Varun is the team’s biggest weapon. His recent “mystery” spell included a 5-wicket haul against South Africa and a career-best rating in 2025. He performs very successfully. Asian Cup he was the leading wicket-taker, making him unplayable on home soil.
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