IND vs NZ T20Is full schedule, squads: Suryakumar’s batting in focus as India begin final World Cup drill

India face New Zealand in a 5-match T20I series starting Jan 21. From Suryakumar Yadav’s captaincy test to the full match schedule and streaming info, here is your ultimate guide to the T20 World Cup dress rehearsal.

Written by Sports Desk

Updated: January 21, 2026 17:40 IST

Suryakumar Yadav and Mitchell Santner with the T20I series trophy ahead of the 1st T20I in Nagpur, January 2026.

T20 World Cup Countdown: Skipper Suryakumar Yadav (centre)) will lead the 'Men in Blue' in a five-match T20I series against Mitchell Santner's New Zealand, starting Wednesday. With the 2026 T20 World Cup title defense less than three weeks away, all eyes are on the captain to rediscover his 360-degree batting magic on home soil. (Photo Source: PTI)

With the 2026 T20 World Cup just 18 days away, the defending champions India enter their final phase of preparation with a high-octane five-match home series against New Zealand.

While the Men in Blue have pretty much been on autopilot with a 72% win rate under Suryakumar Yadav, the skipper’s own form has become the elephant in the room as the series kicks off in Nagpur this Wednesday.

Suryakumar Yadav: Batting slump vs captaincy numbers

Since taking the reins in 2024, Suryakumar Yadav has transformed India into a T20 juggernaut. However, his individual returns have dipped, with only 330 runs in his last 20 innings.

India vs New Zealand T20I full schedule

All matches are scheduled for 7:00 PM IST starts, with the toss taking place at 6:30 PM.

1st T20I- Jan 21- Nagpur
2nd T20I- Jan 23- Raipur
3rd T20I- Jan 25- Guwahati
4th T20I- Jan 28- Visakhapatnam
5th T20I- Jan 31- Thiruvananthapuram

Squad updates: Recalls & injury woes

India has been forced into late changes due to injuries to Tilak Varma and Washington Sundar. Consequently, Shreyas Iyer returns for the first three games, while Ravi Bishnoi steps in for Sundar.

India Squad: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (first 3), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (vice-captain), Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, Rinku Singh, Arshdeep Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Harshit Rana.