New Zealand host India in Christchurch on Thursday and the cold may matter as much as the cricket. It will be nippy by the 8 p.m. local start, the pitches are fresh and dew cannot be ruled out late in the night.
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No team has passed 200 in the last eight T20Is in New Zealand. India arrive jetlagged and without Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya, though they have won their last two bilateral T20I series in New Zealand.
Shreyas Iyer leads them against Mitchell Santner's hosts, and the first of five T20Is starts at 12:30 PM IST.
New Zealand vs. India prediction: Who will win?
Finn Allen has not played a home T20 since March 2025, yet he strikes at 184.21 in New Zealand, and he will be desperate to put on a show.
Shreyas Iyer has lost series in Ireland and England as captain, so the pressure sits with the visitors. New Zealand also won their most recent Test and ODI series in India, so they clearly know how to beat this side.
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Wind, fresh pitches, home crowds and a near full-strength squad all point the same way, and a strong start in Christchurch should set the tone.
The Cricket News Prediction: New Zealand to win.
New Zealand vs. India predicted lineups, team news for 1st T20I
Here's how we think both sides will line up in this game:
New Zealand predicted lineup against India
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 predicted lineup against New Zealand
Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Prince Yadav, Arshdeep Singh
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New Zealand vs. India pitch report, 1st T2OI: Hagley Oval, Christchurch
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