Canada Bat First vs New Zealand in Crucial T20 World Cup Clash in Chennai

Canada won the toss and elected to bat first in their T20 World Cup match against New Zealand at Chennai's MA Chidambaram Stadium. The Canadian side made one change, with Shivam Sharma replacing the injured Kaleem Sana. New Zealand, missing their regular captain Mitchell Santner due to illness, saw Daryl Mitchell lead the side and made two changes, including Kyle Jamieson for Lockie Ferguson, who returned home for the birth of his child. Both captains expressed confidence in assessing and adapting to the Chennai conditions as the day game progressed.

Key Points: Canada vs NZ T20 World Cup: Toss, Teams, Injury Updates

  • Canada wins toss and chooses to bat
  • NZ captain Santner rested due to illness
  • Lockie Ferguson leaves for birth of child
  • Multiple forced changes in both XIs
3 min read

T20 World Cup: Canada win toss in Chennai, opt to bat first against New Zealand

Canada opts to bat first against New Zealand in Chennai. Key player changes for both sides due to injury, illness, and personal reasons.

"We'll bat first. It looks like a good surface to start on, and later in the game, there might be some assistance for the spinners. - Dilpreet Bajwa"

Chennai, February 17

Canada has opted to bat first after winning the toss against New Zealand in match 31 of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 being played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Tuesday.

Canada made only one change in their playing XI from the last match as Kaleem Sana missed out due to injury, and Shivam Sharma came into the playing XI, replacing him.

During the toss, Canada captain Dilpreet Bajwa said, "We'll bat first. It looks like a good surface to start on, and later in the game, there might be some assistance for the spinners. So it's better to put runs on the board and defend a target. We've had a couple of night games recently, so a day game is a nice change. I think it suits us, especially with our spinners - the conditions should help them later on. Yes, one change. Kaleem Sana is out due to injury, and Shivam Sharma comes in."

New Zealand full-time skipper Mitchell Santner has been rested from the match due to illness, and Darly Mitchell came for the toss as the stand-in captain of New Zealand.

Cole McConchie, who came into the New Zealand squad as Michael Bracewell's replacement, was included in the playing XI in place of Santner.

The Kiwi pacer Lockie Ferguson has gone back to New Zealand for the birth of his first baby, and Kyle Jamieson replaced him in the Playing XI.

Speaking during the toss, New Zealand captain for the match, Daryl Mitchell, said, "Santner is not feeling too great today, so hopefully he'll be good to go in 24 hours. Firstly, we're really excited for Lockie with the birth of his first baby -- that's special news -- and he'll be back soon. In terms of the team, Kyle Jamieson comes in for him, so it's a like-for-like replacement, which is good for us. Cole (McConchie) comes in for Santner as well, so again it's a very similar role. He'll be excited to get the opportunity."

On playing in Chennai, he said, "It brings different challenges. A number of us have played quite a few games here in Chennai over the last few years, so we understand the conditions. We'll assess the surface quickly and adapt as the game unfolds."

New Zealand (Playing XI): Tim Seifert(w), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell(c), Cole McConchie, James Neesham, Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy

Canada (Playing XI): Yuvraj Samra, Dilpreet Bajwa(c), Navneet Dhaliwal, Harsh Thaker, Nicholas Kirton, Shreyas Movva(w), Saad Bin Zafar, Shivam Sharma, Dilon Heyliger, Jaskaran Singh, Ansh Patel.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Chepauk is a fortress for spinners in the second innings. Canada's strategy makes sense, but they need to put up a big total. New Zealand's batting lineup is strong even with changes. Exciting day game ahead!
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Arjun K
Heartwarming to see the sportsmanship. Congrats to Lockie Ferguson! And hope Santner recovers soon. These personal moments remind us there's more to life than cricket, though the game must go on. 🙏
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Sarah B
As a neutral fan in Chennai for the match, the atmosphere is electric! It's fantastic to see global cricket here. Canada has a lot of support from the local crowd. Hope it's a close contest.
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Vikram M
Respectfully, I think the article could focus a bit more on Canada's journey. They are the underdogs here, and their story is inspiring for cricket's growth. New Zealand news dominates, but this is a big moment for Canadian cricket.
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Nikhil C
Good toss to win for Canada. Batting first in the Chennai heat is tough, but if they can post 160+, their spinners could cause problems. Shivam Sharma has a big opportunity. Let's go, Canada! 🤞

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