In the third T20I match against New Zealand, Team India skipper Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and elected to bowl first at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati.
The “Men in Blue” will enter the clash with two major changes, where Arshdeep Singh and Varun Chakaravarthy have been rested, and Jasprit Bumrah and Ravi Bishnoi come in their place.
After winning the toss, the hosts` skipper Suryakumar said, “We’re choosing to bowl first again as the surface looks good and there’s likely to be dew later, which helps while chasing. My message to the team was simple—repeat the good habits, stay fearless, and trust yourselves in the middle. The batters and bowlers out there know best what’s happening on the field, so backing their decisions is important. Having all-around options like Shivam, Hardik, and occasionally Abhishek gives our attack valuable flexibility. Hardik has delivered that balance for years, and Shivam adding those overs recently is a huge plus for us. We’ve made two changes today: Arshdeep and Varun get a rest, while Jasprit Bumrah and Ravi Bishnoi return”.
The “Black Caps” have made one change with Zakary Foulkes missing out on the match, and Kyle Jamieson coming in.
“We expect the pitch to play well again, so the plan is to assess conditions quickly and post a strong total. I felt we batted impressively in the last match, but India’s power hitting put us under real pressure with the ball. In T20s, you take the lessons you can and move on fast because every venue brings something different. It’s about turning up, reading the surface, and adapting immediately to what the game demands. Neesham was supposed to play this one, but he’s unwell, so Jamieson comes in for Foulkes. Hopefully the changes give us the balance we need for tonight,” said New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner.
The visitors will be eager to register their first win to keep the series alive, whereas the hosts will aim to seal the series. Currently, Team India is leading the five-match T20I series by 2-0 against New Zealand.
IND vs NZ 3rd T20I: Confirmed Playing XI
India: Sanju Samson (WK), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravi Bishnoi.
New Zealand: Devon Conway (WK), Tim Seifert, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner (C), Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Jacob Duffy.
