India’s Probable Playing XI for the First T20I Against New Zealand

After drawing their T20I series against the West Indies, India are preparing for a five-match T20I series against New Zealand. The opening match is scheduled for October 22 at Hagley Oval in Christchurch. Led by Shreyas Iyer, the Indian team has begun preparations in New Zealand. Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma are expected to open the innings, followed by Ishan Kishan at No. 3. Iyer, Tilak Varma and Naman Dhir are also likely to feature in the middle order.

Shivam Dube and Nitish Kumar Reddy could provide all-round options, while Varun Chakravarthy is expected to strengthen the spin attack. In the pace department, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh and Prince Yadav are among the players being considered for the probable XI. Bhuvneshwar’s anticipated return to the Indian team after an extended absence is another key talking point ahead of the series. However, the final playing XI will be confirmed by the team management before the match.