India won the first two T20Is of the series in Christchurch in ongoing five-game series.
After losing the first two T20Is of the five-game series against India, hosts New Zealand have made multiple changes to their squad for the remainder of the series. After losing the first game in Christchurch by 4 wickets on October 22, the second game saw an amazing chase by the Indian team.
Asked to chase 181 runs, India was struggling at 70/5 in 11 overs, but Tilak Varma (51*), Naman Dhir (31) and Nitish Reddy (26*) played out of their skins to chase down 46 runs in the last three overs to win the game by 4 wickets to go 2-0 up in the series.
Now, on October 25, 2026, New Zealand Cricket has announced several changes to their squad for the remaining three T20Is against India.
Lockie Ferguson is slated to miss the third T20I in Wellington on October 27, instead going to Auckland on Sunday to be available for the fourth and fifth T20Is. On the other hand, pacer Matt Henry is set to miss the rest of the series, as he will begin preparation for the ODI series that begins on November 4.
Matt Fisher will accompany the team to Wellington purely as pace cover for the third T20I, after which he will rejoin the New Zealand A squad.
Kyle Jamieson, who was not involved in either of the first two T20Is, will head to Wellington for the third match and stay on to be available for Canterbury's second-round Ford Trophy fixture against Wellington on October 31. Following that, he will also depart for Auckland for the ODIs.
Blair Tickner will link up with the T20I squad in Wellington for the final three games, while Josh Clarkson will head to Auckland and be available for the last two T20Is.
New Zealand head coach Rob Walter said the team had benefited from the depth of its squad as it manages the workload of its fast bowlers.
“It's been a competitive start to the T20 series with two close games and plenty more cricket to come. We're very fortunate with the depth in the squad to be able to call upon different players to help manage our pacers' workloads and to try and ensure they're best placed to perform for the team for all the cricket coming up," Walter said as per the New Zealand Cricket website.
The third T20I, scheduled for October 27 in Wellington, will be crucial for the hosts to keep the series alive.
The fourth match is scheduled for Auckland on October 30, followed by the fifth and final T20I in Hamilton on November 1. The five-match ODI series will follow the T20I leg.
New Zealand's updated T20I squad for the India series:
Mitchell Santner (C), Tim Seifert (WK), Finn Allen, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Bevon Jacobs, Michael Bracewell, Nathan Smith, Adam Milne, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson (fourth and fifth T20Is), Kyle Jamieson (third T20I only), Matt Fisher (cover for third T20I), Blair Tickner (final three T20Is), Josh Clarkson (fourth and fifth T20Is).
(ANI inputs)