Correspondent, 22 October: The five-match T20 series between India and New Zealand has officially commenced, with the opening encounter taking place at Hagley Oval. Indian captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and elected to bowl first, a decision New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner stated he would have made as well. For this opening fixture, experienced fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been named in India's final 11.
The Indian team management has made two changes to the playing XI compared to their final T20 match against the West Indies. Shivam Dube and Prince Yadav have been dropped from the side, making way for the inclusion of Nitish Kumar Reddy and Mayank Yadav. The responsibility of opening the innings will rest on the duo of Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson.
Meanwhile, 15-year-old opening batter Vaibhav Suryavanshi missed out on a spot in the first T20. He was also confined to the bench as a reserve player during the five-match series against the West Indies. Suryavanshi, who made his debut for India during the England tour and earned the 'Player of the Tournament' accolade in Zimbabwe, is currently in fine form. Across eight matches, he has amassed 246 runs at an average of 31 and a striking rate of 186, an impressive tally that includes two half-centuries.
India has opted to field four fast-bowling options for this match. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, and Mayank Yadav will be joined by Nitish Kumar Reddy in the pace attack. The spin duties will be shouldered by Naman Dhir and Axar Patel, while mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav have been kept in the squad as reserve players. India's final playing XI features Shreyas Iyer (captain), Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Dhir, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, and Mayank Yadav.
On the other side, New Zealand has stacked its lineup with a total of seven bowling options. Their core fast-bowling unit comprises Lockie Ferguson, Adam Milne, Nathan Smith, and Matt Henry, who has the ability to swing the ball in both directions. For their spin department, Captain Santner will be supported by Glenn Phillips and Michael Bracewell. New Zealand's playing XI for the first T20 includes Mitchell Santner (captain), Finn Allen, Tim Seifert (wicketkeeper), Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Bevan Jacobs, Michael Bracewell, Nathan Smith, Adam Milne, Matt Henry, and Lockie Ferguson.
