Archive · 21 Jan 2026
India vs New Zealand 1st T20I: Match Preview
India and New Zealand are playing a series of five T20 cricket matches.
The first match is on 21 January in Nagpur.
Tilak Varma, a key player for India, is recovering from surgery and will miss the first three matches.
Shreyas Iyer will play in his place.
Ishan Kishan will bat at number 3.
The weather in Nagpur will be cloudy but no rain is expected.
The pitch in Nagpur usually helps fast bowlers at the start of the game and spinners later.
New Zealand won the recent ODI series against India, showing they can play well anywhere.
India has the home advantage and is preparing for the T20 World Cup next year.
The toss is set to take place at 6:30 PM IST.
The match will be telecast on the Star Sports Network and live-streamed on the JioHotstar app and website.
India and New Zealand are playing a five-match T20I series, starting on 21 January in Nagpur.
Tilak Varma is recovering from surgery and will miss the first three matches, with Shreyas Iyer replacing him.
Ishan Kishan will bat at number 3 in Varma's absence.
The weather in Nagpur is expected to be cloudy with temperatures around 18-14°C, and no rain is forecasted.
The toss is set to take place at 6:30 PM IST, and the match will start at 7:00 PM IST.
- Who
- India and New Zealand cricket teams
- What
- 1st T20I match of the series
- When
- 21 January at 7:00 PM IST
- Where
- Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur
- Why
- Part of the five-match T20I series and India's preparation for the T20 World Cup 2026
India
New Zealand
Recent Performance
India
India has the home advantage and is preparing for the T20 World Cup 2026.
New Zealand
New Zealand recently won the ODI series 2-1, showing they can win anywhere.
- Match
- India vs New Zealand 1st T20I
- Venue
- Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur
- Date
- 21 January
- Toss Time
- 6:30 PM IST
- Match Time
- 7:00 PM IST
- Weather Forecast
- Cloudy, no rain, temperature around 18-14°C
- Pitch Report
- Red soil, favours bounce and pace initially, not very high-scoring
- Expected First Innings Total
- 160-180
- India's Key Players
- Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah
- New Zealand's Recent Performance
- Won the ODI series 2-1 against India
Sources
Tilak Varma Injury Update: India Star Set For Return During IND Vs NZ T20I Series After Testicular Surgery
India vs New Zealand 1st T20I Live Streaming Details: When and where to watch series opener in Nagpur
Nagpur weather forecast, IND vs NZ 1st T20: Check pitch report for Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium
India vs New Zealand Live Cricket Score, 1st T20I: IND Look To Avenge ODI Series Loss
'Trust game' is Suryakumar Yadav's mantra in crisis as he eyes 100th T20I against New Zealand - Telegraph India
Test of Team India's T20 expertise: No room for slip-ups in countdown to World Cup next month
India vs New Zealand 1st T20I Live: When will the IND vs NZ toss happen?
