India have been asked to bat first after New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner won the toss. The Indian batters will look to post a big score against the Kiwis at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur.
Ishan Kishan returns to the Indian team and will be batting at No.3 in place of Tilak Varma.
Ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026, India and New Zealand meet each other in the final preparations for a five-match series at the former’s home. India, the defending champions, are the team to beat as they have mauled one opposition after the other. Meanwhile, New Zealand are a side that have given the Men in Blue a reality check in recent times with their Test and ODI series wins over the Men in Blue on Indian soil.