India Face Jet Lag and a Full-Strength New Zealand as T20I Series Begins in Christchurch

Shreyas Iyer’s captaincy is under the spotlight as India get only one training session before the five-match series starts

India begin their five-match T20I series against New Zealand in Christchurch on Thursday, October 22, with very little time to prepare. The first match starts at 8pm local time (12:30pm IST).

India arrive straight from their 2-2 home series against West Indies and will have just one training session before the opener. They will also be without two key players, Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya.

A tough start for India

India have faced this situation before. Earlier this year they landed in Ireland, trained for a day and lost the series 2-0. It was their first-ever defeat to Ireland in any format.

New Zealand will be a much stronger test. The long flight, the jet lag and the unusual conditions add to the challenge. New Zealand grounds often bring strong winds, drop-in pitches and unusual shapes.

New Zealand will also be looking for revenge after losing to India in the T20 World Cup final in March.

Players to watch

Shreyas Iyer is under pressure as captain. India lost series in Ireland and England in his first two assignments after he replaced Suryakumar Yadav, and he will want runs early.

For New Zealand, the spotlight is on Finn Allen. The explosive opener has not played a T20 in New Zealand since March 2025, having played 77 matches in leagues around the world since then. At home, he strikes at more than 184.

Team news

New Zealand are close to full strength for the first time since the World Cup, though Mark Chapman, Dean Foulkes and Rachin Ravindra are out injured. Their pace attack is deep, with Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Kyle Jamieson, Jacob Duffy and Adam Milne all available.

India may move away from their spin-heavy approach at home. Veteran seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar is likely to play, and Varun Chakravarthy is fit again.

Probable XIs

New Zealand: Finn Allen, Tim Seifert (wk), Devon Conway, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (capt), Nathan Smith, Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson

India: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (capt), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Prince Yadav/Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh

Stats to know

There has not been a score of 200 in the last eight T20Is played in New Zealand.
India have won their last two bilateral T20I series in New Zealand.

Series schedule

1st T20I: October 22, Christchurch
2nd T20I: October 24, Christchurch
3rd T20I: October 27, Wellington
4th T20I: October 30, Auckland
5th T20I: November 1, Hamilton