IND vs NZ: Predicted India playing XI for the first T20I against New Zealand

Following a surprising home T20I series draw at home against the West Indies, Team India has landed in New Zealand for their upcoming assignment. Marking their return to New Zealand after an extended period, Team India has embarked on an extensive multi-format series, beginning with a five-match T20I encounter. The first T20I between the two sides is scheduled to be played at Hagley Oval, Christchurch, on October 22.

Team India’s recent T20I form has been a bit shaky—a fact underscored by the outcome of the recently concluded home series against the West Indies, where India had to settle for a 2-2 draw, despite expectations of a 4-1 or 5-0 series victory. The Indian team will face a genuine test in New Zealand, where the conditions heavily favor seam and swing bowling. 

The Indian fans are particularly excited about this series, as veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar is making his return to the side after four years. Apart from this, the squad remains the same as the one that featured against the West Indies. With an eye on the 2027 ODI World Cup, veteran bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj have not been selected for this format, while Hardik Pandya is also not yet fully fit.

It will be quite interesting to see what combination the Indian team chooses for its playing XI. Given that the Indian bowlers’ performance in front of the home crowd was rather ordinary, the team management has opted to turn back to Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Conditions in New Zealand are considered favorable for fast bowlers, which means Team India’s batting lineup is set for a real test. It remains to be seen which batters will pass this challenge and which ones will falter.

India will rely heavily on the batting prowess of Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, captain Shreyas Iyer, and Tilak Varma. Meanwhile, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Arshdeep Singh will lead the pace attack. Varun Chakaravarthy is also set to make a comeback after missing the T20I series against the West Indies. Axar Patel and Naman Dhir will feature as spin-bowling all-rounders, while either Nitish Kumar Reddy or Shivam Dube is likely to get an opportunity in the playing XI. 

It will be quite interesting to see what combination the team management opts for in the upcoming cricket match. The team might also consider Prince Yadav and Mayank Yadav. Mayank possesses pace, so he could be included in the playing XI as an additional fast bowler; if he gets even a little bit of assistance from the conditions, he could prove to be quite dangerous for the opposition batters.

Predicted India playing XI for the first T20I

Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer ©, Tilak Varma, Naman Dhir, Nitish Kumar Reddy/Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh