IND vs NZ 1st T20I: Santner wins toss, opts to field in World Cup prep

New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner won the toss and opted to field first against India in the first T20I in Nagpur. The five-match series is key preparation for the upcoming T20 World Cup. Kristian Clarke makes his debut for the Kiwis.

New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner won the toss and decided to field first against Team India in the first T20I of the five-match series at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium on Wednesday.

The five-match T20I series between India and New Zealand will help both countries prepare for the upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, starting next month in India and Sri Lanka.

What the Captains Said

Santner said it is a good wicket and they will try to take advantage early. "Looks like a good wicket, will see if it does anything early. Last week was special. It's a new series, great prep for the World Cup. All have been playing, be it for the national side or franchises. Three seamers - Clarke to debut, Jamieson and Duffy. There are many spinners. Bracewell still has a calf niggle," Santner said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

India captain Suryakumar said Shreyas, Harshit Rana, Ravi Bishnoi and Kuldeep Yadav are missing out. "We were looking to play, and there was a bit of dew at 8:30pm (yesterday). We've been doing a lot right, and the atmosphere is positive in the dressing room. Shreyas, Harshit, Ravi Bishnoi and Kuldeep are the ones from the squad missing out."

Playing XI

Teams: New Zealand (Playing XI): Tim Robinson, Devon Conway(w), Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner(c), Kristian Clarke, Kyle Jamieson, Ish Sodhi, Jacob Duffy.

India (Playing XI): Sanju Samson(w), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah.

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