India vs New Zealand 2026 1st T20 Predicted Playing 11: Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya IN, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana OUT

Team India will begin a five-match T20I series against New Zealand in the build-up to the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 with the first game set to take place at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur on Wednesday. The Indian team are coming into this series on the back of a bruising 2-1 loss in the ODI series against the Black Caps.

The first T20I match will see the comeback of Sunrisers Hyderabad and Jharkhand wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan after nearly two years. Ishan last played a T20I match for India against Australia in November 2023 and is set to replace injured Tilak Varma in the number three position in the Playing 11.

The 27-year-old has fought his back into the Team India squad for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026 as well on the back of his performances in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025 and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025 – where he guided Jharkhand to the title.

World No. 3 T20I batter Tilak Varma has been ruled out of the first three T20I matches of the series after undergoing an operation to deal with an abdominal issue. The series will also see Sanju Samson play as No. 1 wicketkeeper with Jitesh Sharma left out of the squad and will be opening the batting with world No. 1 T20I batter Abhishek Sharma.

Mumbai Indians captain and all-rounder Hardik Pandya will be returning to the side after being rested for the ODI series against New Zealand. The second pace bowling all-rounder’s position will be up for grabs between Shivam Dube and Harshit Rana, who scored his maiden ODI fifty in the third game in Indore last Sunday.

In the bowling department, left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh can challenge chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav for a spot in the play. The Delhi Capitals spinner appeared off his game in the ODI series against New Zealand, failing to pick up wickets or keep runs in check.

For New Zealand, ODI captain and all-rounder Michael Bracewell is set to miss the opening clash after straining his calf in the third game. Glenn Phillips is likely to return to the side at the expense of Bracewell. The Black Caps will have Tim Robinson opening the batting with Devon Conway, although the former is not part of their T20 World Cup 2026 squad.

Robinson scored his maiden T20I century in a game against Australia last year and had a strike-rate of over 160 in the home T20I series against the West Indies.

 

️️ Ishan Kishan will play at no.3

Captain @surya_14kumar on the inclusion of @ishankishan51 in #TeamIndia‘s Playing XI in the 1⃣st T20I against New Zealand. #INDvNZ | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/sZ3AB7RKVH

— BCCI (@BCCI) January 20, 2026

India vs New Zealand 2026 1st T20I match Predicted 11

India: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Suryakumar Yadav (c), Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Rinku Singh, Harshit Rana/Shivam Dube, Arshdeep Singh/Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy

New Zealand: Tim Robinson, Devon Conway (wk), Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner (c), Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Jacob Duffy