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India
New Zealand
India will square off against New Zealand in the 5th T20I of the New Zealand tour of India 2026 at Thiruvananthapuram. The series stands at 3-1 in favour of India. Even after New Zealand won the previous game, India will stay in control. This match will decide how strongly India will finish the series.
In the first T20I, India will post a solid first-innings score, and the bowlers will defend it comfortably. In the next two matches, India will successfully chase down totals set by New Zealand. The only setback will come in the last game, where New Zealand posted a big total, and India fell short in the chase.
The head-to-head numbers favour India. Out of 30 T20Is, India holds 17 wins, while New Zealand have 11 wins, with 2 no results. In the last 9 meetings, India has won 6 matches, New Zealand won two and 1 match ended in a tie.
All 4 matches in this series have crossed 15.5 sixes, with batting-friendly pitches and in-form hitters like Abhishek, Suryakumar and Phillips consistently clearing the ropes.
The betting tip is...
Over 15.5 Sixes to be scored
61 %
39 %
IndiaNew ZealandAbhishek Sharma is Indiaβs standout performer in this series. He will provide explosive starts after scoring 84 off 35 in Nagpur and 68 off 20 in Guwahati, with 152 runs across 4 matches. Sanju Samson has struggled for consistency, and Yashasvi Jaiswal could come into the XI to strengthen the opening pair.
Captain Suryakumar Yadav will carry strong form into this game after scoring 179 runs in 4 matches following a lean phase earlier in 2025. Ishan Kishan will also contribute after making a solid comeback with 112 runs in 3 matches.
The middle order of Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh and Hardik Pandya will continue to add quick runs. Dube comes off a 65 off 23 in the previous match. Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav and Hardik Pandya will lead the bowling with 4 wickets each, while Ravi Bishnoi, Shivam Dube, Arshdeep Singh and Varun Chakravarthy have 3 wickets each.
Abhishek, Ishan and Suryakumar are the key batters.
Predicted Lineup: Abhishek Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ishan Kishan (wk), Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shreyas Iyer, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh.
New Zealand will deliver mixed performances across this series and will rely on a few key players heading into this match. Glenn Phillips will remain the standout batter after scoring 169 runs in 4 matches.
Captain Mitchell Santner will continue to contribute down the order, adding 105 runs while carrying extra responsibility with the bat. Tim Seifert will provide support at the top after scoring 98 runs in 3 matches, offering stability alongside Phillips and Santner.
Daryl Mitchell will look to improve after a quiet T20I series. Despite his strong ODI form with 352 runs in 3 matches, he has only 99 runs from 4 T20Is. With the ball, Jacob Duffy will lead the attack with 5 wickets in 4 matches. Ish Sodhi will exploit spin-friendly conditions with 5 wickets, while Santner has 4. Matt Henry has taken 3 wickets.
Seifert, Phillips and Mitchell are the key batters.
Predicted Lineup: Devon Conway, Tim Seifert, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips (wk), Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner (c), Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Jacob Duffy.
This match will again be played on a surface that will again favour batters. India will continue to rely on their top order, where Abhishek Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav will attack from the start. New Zealand will respond through their middle order, with Glenn Phillips carrying most of the hitting responsibility.
Across the 4 matches so far, at least one team has crossed the 200-run mark on 3 occasions, which will point towards another high-scoring game. The pitches in this series have allowed clean hitting throughout the innings.
The numbers will also support this trend, as all four matches have already gone past 15.5 sixes. With both sides showing intent and power, the final T20I will produce plenty of big shots.
