Suryakumar Yadav-led India will lock horns with Mitchell Santners New Zealand in the first T20I of the highly anticipated five-match T20 International series on Wednesday, January 21 at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur. The five-match T20I series will serve as crucial preparation for India ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. Notably, India will enter the contest with a revamped squad due to injuries. Tilak Varma (ruled out of the first three T20Is) and Washington Sundar have been replaced by Shreyas Iyer (for the initial three matches) and Ravi Bishnoi. The squad sees the return of key seniors like Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah, who were rested during the preceding ODI series, which India lost. Heres Indias predicted Playing XI for 1st T20I against New Zealand in Nagpur:
