The first T20I between India and New Zealand is scheduled to take place on Wednesday at the Vidarbha Cricket Association in Nagpur. India's recent T20I performances have been outstanding, with India cruising through the Asia Cup unbeaten, followed by a 2-1 series victory in Australia and a 3-1 victory over South Africa at home. Players like Abhishek Sharma, Hardik Pandya, and Jasprit Bumrah have the power to turn the tide for the Indian team.

New Zealand enters this series on the back of a convincing 3-1 home win over the West Indies. The squad is capable of challenging the Indian team due to its quality. To achieve victory for New Zealand, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner, and Tim Robinson must play important roles.

Also Read: IND vs NZ, 1st T20I: Head-to-head, pitch report & predicted playing XIs

IND vs NZ Match Details

• Match: India vs New Zealand, 1st T20I

• Date: 21st January 2025

• Time: 7.00 PM IST

• Venue: Vidarbha Cricket Association, Nagpur

• Live Streaming: FanCode

IND vs NZ Weather Report

IND vs NZ Pitch Report

The surface of the Vidarbha Cricket Association can feel dry and slightly uneven. Batters who speed up the pace are at risk of mistimed shots, while placement improves the outcome.

Top Batters to Watch – IND vs NZ

• Suryakumar Yadav (IND): 2788 runs in T20I 

• Hardik Pandya (IND): 2002 runs in T20I 

• Devon Conway (NZ): 1675 runs in T20I 

Top Bowlers to Watch – IND vs NZ

• Arshdeep Singh (IND): 110 wickets in T20I 

• Mitchell Santner (NZ): 130 wickets in T20I 

• Hardik Pandya (IND): 101 wickets in T20I 

IND vs NZ Recent Form

     Winning Probability

• India: 68%

• New Zealand: 32%

IND vs NZ Today Match Prediction Scenarios

Scenario 1: If IND Bat First

• Powerplay Score: 50–60

• Predicted Total: 170–175

• Match Result: IND to win

Scenario 2: If NZ Bat First

• Powerplay Score: 45–50

• Predicted Total: 160–165

• Match Result: IND to win

Who Will Hit the Most Sixes?

Who Will Hit the Most Fours?

IND vs NZ Predicted Playing XIs

India

Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson(wk), Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh.

New Zealand 

Devon Conway(w), Tim Robinson, Rachin Ravindra, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Michael Bracewell, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner(c), Kyle Jamieson/Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Jacob Duffy.

IND vs NZ Today Match Prediction – Who Will Win Today?

We predict that India will win the 1st T20I match. The likes of Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and Suryakumar Yadav will be key players to watch out for.

IND vs NZ Match FAQs

India continued their ominous time against Daryl Mitchell, who three days ago earned the second ODI victory against India at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot with an undefeated century, and has continued to grow in stature in the decider at the Holkar Stadium in Indore as he celebrated another century when they were under pressure with three down for 58 runs. 

With Glenn Phillips, Mitchell celebrated the partnership of over 200 runs for the fourth wicket. The latter New Zealand batter never looked to be out of touch from the start of his innings and continued to smash the bowlers, both the pacers and spinners equally, around the park to reach his century.

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With a single in the 36th over of the innings, the right-handed batter nailed his fourth century of the 50-over format against India. He got a big round of applause from the home dressing room. It was also Mitchell’s fourth ODI century in eight innings against the Indian side as he remains only behind Ab de Villiers in the list with five centuries in 11 ODI innings.

Daryl Mitchell records fourth ODI century vs India 

Mitchell celebrated his fourth ODI century in 11 innings against the Indian side, which is also the second most for New Zealand against this opponent, as he stays only behind Nathan Astle, who recorded the three-figure marks five times in 29 innings of the ODI format.

Watch the video here: 

Daryl Mitchell #IndiaVsNewZealand pic.twitter.com/IuATkucDRx

— Cricket Everywhere✍🏻 (@Subhamk79241601) January 18, 2026

From the other end, he was well supported by Glenn Phillips, who notched up his fifth ODI century in just 83 balls. He opened his arms and started to go hard against the bowlers, which grabbed the momentum in their favor as for the very first time, the Indian side looked to be struggling with their line and length.

He was finally dismissed on 106 runs in just 88 deliveries, with the help of nine boundaries and three sixes while they managed the second-highest partnership for the fourth wicket or lower against India in the ODIs, which is just behind the 221* runs added by Kane Williamson and Tom Latham for the fourth wicket in 2022.

Brief Scores: New Zealand 293/6 (Daryl Mitchell 137, Glenn Phillips 106, Arshdeep Singh 2/55) vs India.

New Zealand cricketer Daryl Mitchell played a great match-winning knock against the hosts India in the Rajkot ODI on Wednesday (January 14) to level the three-match ODI series with one to go. While Mitchell slammed a great century, he entered a special record book with that three-figure mark.

After New Zealand sent the hosts to bat first, KL Rahul's brilliant century (112 not out off 92 balls) helped India to manage a challenging first innings total of 284/7 in 50 overs.

In reply, New Zealand were once batting at 46/2 in 12.4 overs, while they lost both their openers. Will Young and Daryl Mitchell strongly replied to the hosts, as they guided the visitors to a comfortable win. While they had a 162-run partnership for the third wicket, Young scored 87 off 98 balls.

IND vs NZ 2nd ODI: Match Highlights and Key Performances

Daryl Mitchell scored his third ODI century against hosts India at no.4 or lower

Meanwhile, Mitchell continued his strong batting performance, and with the support of Glenn Phillips, as they had a 78-run partnership for the unbroken fourth wicket, New Zealand chased down the target in 47.3 overs after losing three wickets. Mitchell completed his eighth ODI century in 96 balls, while scoring his second-highest ODI knock of 131 not out off 117 balls with 11 fours and two sixes. 

It was the third ODI century for Daryl Mitchell against India, and all these centuries have been recorded in India at no.4 or lower. With this hundred, Mitchell moved to the joint second spot in the list of most ODI centuries by a no.4 or lower-order batter against India in India, as he equalled the record of former West Indies cricketer Marlon Samuels' three ODI centuries against the hosts India. The record holder is former South African cricketer AB de Villiers, who recorded five ODI hundreds against the hosts India at no.4 or lower batting positions.  

Foreign batters with the most centuries at no.4 or lower-order (non top-order batters) against the hosts India

• AB de Villiers (South Africa) - 5 centuries
• Daryl Mitchell (New Zealand) - 3 centuries
• Marlon Samuels (West Indies) - 3 centuries

Visitors New Zealand levelled the three-match ODI series 1-1 with one to go after comfortably winning the second ODI at Rajkot on Wednesday (January 14) night. 

After New Zealand chose to field first, India scored 284/7 in 50 overs, while New Zealand chased down the target in 47.3 overs only losing three wickets.

Indian openers Rohit Sharma and captain Shubman Gill provided a good start with a 70-run partnership for the first wicket. Rohit scored 24 off 38 balls, while the skipper Gill later completed his half-century. 

Gill was dismissed for 56 runs off 53 balls with nine fours and one six, while in-form Virat Kohli was bowled for 23 off 29 balls, and Shreyas Iyer was dismissed for only eight runs. India were once struggling at 118/4. 

Watch: KL Rahul smashes fighting century in IND vs NZ 2nd ODI

KL Rahul century rescued Indian innings

While KL Rahul then strongly held the Indian innings, he got some good support from Ravindra Jadeja and Nitish Kumar Reddy. Rahul had a 73-run partnership with Jadeja for the fifth wicket, and after Jadeja's dismissal for 27 runs, Rahul had another crucial 57-run partnership with Nitish Kumar Reddy for the sixth wicket. 

While Nitish was dismissed for 20 runs, Rahul continued his impressive batting to secure a stronger total on the challenging pitch. In the 49th over, Rahul completed his eighth ODI century with a six to Kyle Jamieson's full-toss. Rahul scored 112 not out off 92 balls with 1`1 fours and one six, as the right-handed batter finished the innings with a four. 

Among the Blackcaps bowlers, Kristian Clarke picked up three out of the first four wickets, as he finished with the bowling figures of 8-0-56-3. Also, four more New Zealand bowlers got one wicket each, while the debutant Jayden Lennox impressed with the bowling figures of 10-0-42-1. 

Daryl Mitchell and Will Young set New Zealand chase

In reply, New Zealand openers, Devon Conway (16) and Henry Nicholls (10) lost their wickets cheaply, as the visitors were batting at 46/2 in 12.4 overs.  

However, Will Young and Daryl Mitchell set the New Zealand innings with a strong partnership. They set a 162-run partnership for the third wicket. While Young was dismissed after scoring 87 off 98 balls with seven fours, Mitchell strongly handled the innings, as he guided the Blackcaps to chase down the target comfortably. 

Mitchell slammed a 96-ball century as he scored 131 not out off 117 balls with the help of 11 fours and two sixes. Mitchell and Glenn Phillips had a 78-run partnership for the unbroken fourth wicket, while Phillips scored 32 not out off 25 balls with two fours and one six. 

Daryl Mitchell hit his eighth ODI century, as he recorded his second-highest ODI score, and without any doubt, he won the Player of the Match award for his match-winning innings. 

Former Indian captain Virat Kohli replaced another former Indian captain Rohit Sharma on the top place of the ODI batting ranking due to his consistent batting performances in recent matches. 

Virat Kohli scored five consecutive 50+ scores

In the first ODI of the three-match ODI series against New Zealand, which was played at Vadodara last Sunday (January 11), Virat Kohli played a match-winning knock that helped Men in Blue to chase the 301-run target in 49 overs after losing six wickets. The Player of the Match Kohli scored 93 off 91 balls with the help of eight fours and one six, as it was the right-handed batter's fifth consecutive 50+ scores, including two centuries. 

See Also: 'They discuss with..' - India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak discusses relation of Virat Kohli- Rohit Sharma with Gautam Gambhir ahead of IND vs NZ 2nd ODI

That knock helped Kohli to move to the top position in the ODI batting ranking, while Rohit Sharma has slipped to the no.3 position. It is the first time in four years that Kohli is the no.1-ranked ODI batter, as he previously held this position in July 2021.

Daryl Mitchell climbed one spot in ODI batting ranking

Meanwhile, New Zealand cricketer Daryl Mitchell moved up one spot to grab the second spot in the ODI batting ranking. Mitchell scored 84 off 71 balls with five fours and three sixes to help the Blackcaps manage the 300-run total in the first innings of the Vadodara ODI. 

Indian batters Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer have retained their fifth and 10th places, respectively, in the latest ODI batting ranking. After his crucial match-winning knock in the Vadodara ODI with 29 not out off 21 balls, with the help of two fours and one six, KL Rahul has climbed one place to the 11th position in the ODI batting ranking. 

New Zealand star Daryl Mitchell has climbed to the top of the ICC Men’s ODI Batting Rankings, ending Rohit Sharma’s brief stay at No.1. Mitchell’s rise comes on the back of his match-winning century (119) in the first ODI against the West Indies in Christchurch, where the Black Caps edged home by seven runs.

The in-form right-hander now sits on 782 rating points, just one ahead of Rohit, who had held the top spot for close to three weeks. In the process, Mitchell becomes only the second New Zealander to be ranked No.1 in ODI batting, the first since Glenn Turner achieved the feat way back in 1979.

Latest ICC ODI Batting Rankings - Top 5

Mitchell joins an elite Kiwi list that includes Martin Crowe, Andrew Jones, Roger Twose, Nathan Astle, Kane Williamson, Martin Guptill, and Ross Taylor, all of whom have previously featured in the top five but never reached No.1.

ALSO SEE: BCCI releases official fitness update on Shubman Gill ahead of IND vs SA 2nd Test in Guwahati

Pakistan also enjoyed major ranking boosts following their 3-0 sweep of Sri Lanka. Mohammad Rizwan jumped five places to 22nd while Fakhar Zaman climbed to 26th. On the bowling front, rising spinner Abrar Ahmed surged into ninth, and Haris Rauf moved to 23rd, although Rashid Khan continues to lead the ODI bowlers.

Test rankings shake-up after Kolkata clash

The first Test between India and South Africa at Eden Gardens brought updates across formats. Proteas captain Temba Bavuma broke into the top five Test batters for the first time after his unbeaten 55 steered South Africa home. India’s Shubman Gill moved up to 11th despite suffering an injury.

Jasprit Bumrah remains the No.1 Test bowler, with strong support from Kuldeep Yadav (13th) and Ravindra Jadeja (15th). South Africa’s Marco Jansen climbed to 11th among bowlers and fifth in Test all-rounders after a solid outing.

With New Zealand celebrating a rare No.1 ranking and India locked in an intense Test battle, the race across ICC charts is heating up as the cricket calendar enters a crucial phase.

Daryl Mitchell has been ruled out of the ongoing ODI series against the West Indies after he picked up a groin strain while celebrating his match-winning century in Christchurch.

The New Zealand all-rounder will miss the rest of the series because of the injury. Mitchell played a key role in New Zealand’s close seven-run win in the first ODI, scoring 119 runs off 118 balls. He is staying in Christchurch for a medical check-up to decide if he can return for the remaining three matches.

“Mitchell felt discomfort in his thigh while scoring his seventh ODI century during yesterday’s win over the West Indies at Hagley Oval. He did not return for the second innings. He will undergo a scan this morning to see if he can play the rest of the ODI series,” New Zealand Cricket (NZC) said in a statement on Monday, November 17.

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Nicholls Replaces Injured Mitchell

In Daryl Mitchell’s place, left-hander Henry Nicholls has been called up for Wednesday’s second ODI in Napier. Nicholls last played an ODI in early April and is currently leading the Ford Trophy with 306 runs at an excellent average of 76.50, including two back-to-back centuries against Otago and Auckland.

Squad Update | Daryl Mitchell will not travel to Napier with the squad and will instead undergo a scan on his left groin in Christchurch this morning. Henry Nicholls has been called into the squad as cover and will join the squad in Napier this afternoon 🏏…

— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) November 16, 2025

Mark Chapman is also in the squad as a backup batter. He has been in strong form, averaging 101.33 in four ODIs this year. Mitchell has been outstanding this season and was even named Series Player of the Year against England. “He’s a guy you want in a crisis,” captain Mitchell Santner said. “He played extremely well at the end, even with just one leg.”

New Zealand are also missing several key players due to injuries. Mohammad Abbas (ribs), Finn Allen (foot), Lockie Ferguson (hamstring), Adam Milne (ankle), Will O'Rourke (back), Glenn Phillips (groin), and Ben Sears (hamstring) are all sidelined. Their absence has weakened New Zealand in both batting and bowling.

In the first ODI against the West Indies in Hagley Oval, Christchurch, Daryl Mitchell displayed remarkable temperament and skill to write a memorable century. Mitchell arrived at the crease early after New Zealand lost Will Young and Rachin Ravindra early in the first powerplay. Mitchell was able to handle the pressure with considerable maturity and ease and rebuild the innings with discipline. His measured start developed into a free-flowing exhibition of stroke play, striking a balance between conservativeness and careful aggression that saw the New Zealand score keep moving. In difficult conditions and impressive disciplined West Indies bowling, Mitchell remained firm at one end so New Zealand did not collapse in the middle overs. 

As Devon Conway peddled away with his well-made 49 early on, the two formed a pivitol 67-run partnership that solidified the New Zealand innings. Once Conway fell, Mitchell took the reins to revive the middle order, developing partnerships with Tom Latham, Michael Bracewell, and Mitchell Santner in succession. He brilliantly manipulated the field, found gaps, and rotated the strike with composure that assisted to rebuild New Zealand momentum. His innings—full of 12 boundaries and two sixes—demonstrated his versatility and increased stock as an accomplished ODI cricketer.

Mitchell's final score of 119 from 118 deliveries not only helped New Zealand get to a competitive total, but also placed his name in the record books of the venue. He now sits fourth on the all-time individual list for ODIs at Hagley Oval, with only Callum MacLeod (175), Tom Latham (137), and Moeen Ali (128) ahead of him. Mitchell's innings was another memorable moment added to his tally of ODI milestones and was the highlight of the host's innings.

Also Read -Shubman Gill Ruled Out of 1st IND-SA Test After Suffering Neck Injury

Seales Late Flurry Keeps West Indies in the Game

Mitchell's efforts at the top of the order were met head on by West Indies quick Jayden Seales, who with every ball caused danger and discomfort to the New Zealand's batters with his movement and speed. Seales' bowling finished with an exciting finale when he took the wicket of Mitchell in the final over of the innings and validated his economical bowling effort to restrict New Zealand to 269 runs in their 50 overs. Without those timely wickets taken by Seales at critical moments in the innings, the home team would have easily posted more than a 300-run total.

West Indies began their pursuit of New Zealand's 502 total with a bit of pressure, losing John Campbell to Kyle Jamieson. Despite the unfortunate start, the visitors continued to look determined to set up an interesting battle at Christchurch as they look to take advantage of New Zealand's missed opportunities and turn their disciplined bowling effort into a successful run chase.

On Monday evening, Texas Super Kings vs Seattle Orcas (TEX vs SEA) will be played in the seventh match of the MLC 2025 at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland.

MLC 2025, Match 7: TEX vs SEA Probable XIs

Texas Super Kings Predicted Playing XI: Devon Conway (wk), Faf du Plessis (Captain), Daryl Mitchell, Saiteja Mukkamalla, Shubham Ranjane, Donovan Ferreira, Calvin Savage, Zia-Ul-Haq, Adam Milne, Noor Ahmad, Mohammad Mohsin

Seattle Orcas Predicted Playing XI: Aaron Jones, David Warner, Steven Taylor, Kyle Mayers, Heinrich Klaasen (Captain & wk), Shimron Hetmyer/Cameron Gannon, Sikandar Raza, Harmeet Singh, Waqar Salamkheil, Obed McCoy, Jasdeep Singh

See Also: TEX VS SEA Major League Cricket 2025: Live streaming details where to watch

MLC 2025, Match 7: TEX vs SEA Dream11 Top Captains And Vice-captains

Top 3 Dream11 Captain choices

Devon Conway: New Zealand star Devon Conway is in great form in T20 cricket, as he has recently scored 52, 65, and 34 runs, respectively. 

Adam Milne: In his first two matches of the MLC 2025, New Zealander Adam Milne took three and two wickets, respectively. 

Daryl Mitchell: Another New Zealand star Daryl Mitchell is a special asset for any team. In their last match, he scored a crucial 36 runs and later picked up one wicket in his three overs (3-0-20-1).

Top 3 Dream11 Vice-captain choices

Calvin Savage: Durban-born USA all-rounder Calvin Savage started the MLC 2025 with a knock of 53 not out off 34 balls for Texas against New York. He won the Player of the Match award for his brilliant match-winning performance, while his team was struggling at 96/5. 

David Warner: Former Australian cricketer David Warner made his MLC debut during Seattle Orcas' first game of the season, where the left-handed opening batter scored 31 runs in 17 balls. 

Shimron Hetmyer: Caribbean cricketer Shimron Hetmyer can start for Seattle Orcas in this forthcoming match, as his UK tour for the West Indies has completed. 

Major League Cricket (MLC) is amongst those franchise leagues that is fast gaining attraction as some of the finest performers are showcasing their cricketing skills in this tournament. The third edition began on the 13th of June, and already we are witnessing some exciting contests.

The tournament is slowly gaining popularity in the USA and internationally. The tournament consists of some class performers. In this piece, we discuss 3 Texas Super Kings players who were earlier part of the Chennai Super Kings team in the IPL. we discuss these players in detail: 

1.Faf Du Plessis

Faf Du Plessis played a big role for Chennai Super Kings, helping the team win IPL trophies in 2018 & 2021, and now the former South African captain is the skipper of TSK. The former right-handed batter could score just 46 runs in 7 innings during the first MLC season, but during the 2024 season, he scored 420 runs in 8 innings with an average of 52.50 and a strike rate of 171.42.

He represented CSK in 7 seasons (2012, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2020/21 & 2021, scoring 398, 303, 380, 162, 396, 449 & 663 runs respectively) for CSK. During the 2021 season, he scored 633 runs with an average of 45.21 and a strike rate of 138.20.

2.Adam Milne

Milne's debut for TSK against MI New York was quite impressive during the first game of the 2025 MLC season, where he claimed 3/22 on the 14th of June 2025 helping his team to win by 3 runs.

The New Zealand pacer played for RCB in the IPL during the 2016 & 2017 seasons while he played for Mumbai Indians in 2021 and CSK in 2022, when he could play just 1 game against KKR. Milne's career has been affected by injuries, due to which he could play limited IPL games.

See Also : MLC 2025, Match 7: TEX vs SEA Dream11 Top Captain And Vice-captain Choices

3. Daryl Mitchell

Daryl Mitchell has been amongst the most consistent performers for New Zealand in white ball cricket in the last 3- 4 years. The right-hander scored 351 runs for CSK in 15 innings during the 2024 season, registering 2 half-centuries with a strike rate of 142.60 as he was a crucial cog for CSK.

Mitchell didn't play the 2025 IPL season as he was released just before the tournament. The 34-year-old is playing his first MLC, and in his first TSK game, he scored just 8 runs against MI New York on the 13th of June 2025.