New Zealand tour of India 2026 | 3rd T20I | Preview and Predictions

Here is the match preview for the third T20I between India and New Zealand.

New Zealand tour of India 2026 | 3rd T20I | 19:00 IST, January 25, 2026

With Tilak Varma not yet back to full fitness, India have given Ishan Kishan some match time and having Kishan at no.3 gives the hosts an explosive and firepower filled top order. Abhishek Sharma, who has been in the form of his life, has been unstoppable and Sharma’s quick starts at the top has allowed the remainder of the top order to keep the scoreboard running from one end. Suryakumar Yadav has found form at the right time, just before the World Cup but India’s biggest positive with the bat will be Rinku Singh’s form. Singh provides India a pure finisher in the lower middle order and Singh and Hardik Pandya gives the hosts a dangerous middle and lower order. 

With the ball, India have their strongest attack including the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy returning before the World Cup and Bumrah along with Arshdeep Singh provides the hosts a lethal seam attack and the likes of Pandya and Shivam Dube give Suryakumar Yaddav added bowling options with Varun Chakravarthy and Axar Patel being the main spinners. 

New Zealand, like the hosts, sees a host of new players return to the setup for the T20Is with them having been rested for the ODI series with the World Cup in mind. The Kiwis have a lot of experience in the batting unit with the likes of Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips and Mark Chapman, all of whom have played a lot of cricket in the subcontinent. Rachin Ravindra will be key for the visitors, not only in the T20I series but also the upcoming World Cup and the Kiwis will hope Ravindra finds form with the bat and ball, being a key player at the top of the order and more than handy with the ball. Mitchell Santner’s usage of Daryl Mitchell in the first game was heavily criticised but Santner has an extra bowler in Mitchell and with 8 bowling options, the visitors are a flexible team. 

The Guwahati ground has been a high scoring ground with the last T20I encounter at the ground seeing two centuries and a total of 448 runs. It should be another run-fest in the third ODI with India’s lengthy and explosive batting unit giving them the edge.

Fantasy XI: Abhishek Sharma (c), Devon Conway (wk), Sanju Samson, Daryl Mitchell (vc), Glenn Phillips, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Mitchell Santner, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Matt Henry

Venue: Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati

Winners Prediction: India