India have won the toss and have opted to field.

India are set to make their maiden T20 International appearance at the Hagley Oval as they take on New Zealand in the series opener. While the venue is familiar territory for the hosts, New Zealand's recent performances at the venue have been indifferent, holding a balanced 6-6 record in T20Is that includes consecutive defeats in their last two outings.

IND vs NZ Playing XIs

India Playing XI: Sanju Samson(w), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer(c), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Dhir, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, Mayank Yadav.

New Zealand Playing XI: Finn Allen, Tim Seifert(w), Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Bevon Jacobs, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner(c), Nathan Smith, Adam Milne, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson.

Historical records heavily favor the visiting Indian side across formats and conditions in the shortest format: India hold a dominant 19-11 record against New Zealand in T20Is. In New Zealand, India maintain an impressive 7-4 win ratio on Kiwi soil. Talking about the recent Form (Since 2023), India have controlled recent exchanges with a 7–2 win record over New Zealand.

When it comes to ICC Final dominance, India's upper hand over the Blackcaps has been particularly evident in major tournament deciders. The Men in Blue outplayed New Zealand in the finals of two recent ICC silverwares - the 2025 Champions Trophy and the 2026 T20 World Cup - firmly establishing their big-match pedigree over the hosts.