India Aim for 2-0 Lead vs NZ in Raipur T20I After Dominant Series Opener

Under the leadership of Suryakumar Yadav, India began their build-up to the 2026 T20 World Cup in impressive fashion, registering a dominant 48-run victory over the Black Caps in the series opener in Nagpur on Wednesday. The hosts' commanding performance has given them a 1-0 lead and an opportunity to tighten their grip on the series.

India's batting unit delivered a powerful display in the first T20I, led by opener Abhishek Sharma, who produced a blistering innings at the top of the order. The left-hander struck 84 off just 35 deliveries. The 25-year-old hammered five boundaries and eight sixes, setting the tone for a massive total.

Strong support came from the middle-order, with Rinku Singh remaining unbeaten on 44, while captain Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya chipped in with valuable contributions to propel India to 238 for seven in their allotted 20 overs.

The bowlers then ensured there were no late scares. Spinner Varun Chakaravarthy and all-rounder Shivam Dube claimed two wickets apiece as India managed to keep New Zealand in check, restricting them to 190 for seven despite a strong fightback.

For New Zealand, Glenn Phillips stood tall with the bat, producing a fighting knock of 78 from 40 balls. However, the lack of substantial support at the other end ultimately proved costly.

New Zealand's top-ranked bowler, Jacob Duffy, continued his good form from last year as he picked two crucial wickets and gave away just 27 runs in his four overs. Duffy's performance will be crucial for New Zealand as they eye a strong comeback in the 2nd T20I.

India have played only one T20I at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, when they beat Australia by 20 runs in 2023.

The pitch favoured the spinners, who found greater success in the only match played at the venue. They claimed wickets at an average of 18.16 and operated with far better control than the seamers. While the spinners conceded just 6.41 runs per over, the fast bowlers were taken for 9.17 runs per over.

New Zealand batter Glenn Phillips is closing in on a landmark, needing just three more sixes to reach 100 maximums in T20I, while he is also four catches short of completing 150 catches in T20 cricket.

Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya is on the brink of another achievement and requires five more sixes to bring up 200 maximums across international formats. Meanwhile, middle-order batter Rinku Singh is approaching a significant batting mark and is just 59 runs away from completing 3,500 runs in T20 cricket.

With the series still in their early stages, India will be keen to carry forward the confidence gained from the opening encounter. The team management is unlikely to make any changes in the playing XI as they aim for a 2-0 lead.

New Zealand, meanwhile, will be eager to bounce back and level the series. The visitors will be looking for a stronger bowling effort and greater consistency from their batting lineup as they seek to counter India's aggressive style.

When: Friday, Jan 24, 7:00 PM IST

Where: Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur

Where to Watch: Star Sports Network for live TV broadcast and JioHotstar for live streaming.

Squads:

India: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wicket-keeper), Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (vice-captain), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Ravi Bishnoi

New Zealand: Mitchell Santner (captain), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway (wicket-keeper), Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Bevon Jacobs, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Robinson, Ish Sodhi.

- IANS