India Vs New Zealand Probable Playing 11 PtiImage Credit source: PTI

Team India lost the ODI series but the real test for coach Gautam Gambhir is about to come. The T20 series between India and New Zealand will start from Wednesday 21st January, which has more importance than this ODI series. This series, which is going to be held just before the T20 World Cup 2026, is a big preparation opportunity for both the teams. Therefore, both the teams will enter this series with their full strength and do a 'dress rehearsal' of the World Cup. But the question is whether Shreyas Iyer will get a chance in the playing-11?

Opportunity to understand playing-11 before World Cup

The World Cup will start from 7th February, in which there is no match between India and New Zealand in the group stage. Both the teams can definitely clash in the next round. In such a situation, this series may not be very important in terms of knowing each other's strengths or weaknesses, but both the teams can identify their respective strengths and weaknesses. Especially, what combination should be in the playing-11 can be known.

In this series, Team India is going without its two important players, who have also been included in the World Cup squad. Top order batsman Tilak Verma and all-rounder Washington Sundar are out of this series. In such a situation, eyes are on whether Shreyas Iyer and Ravi Bishnoi, who came in the squad for the T20 series, will get a chance in place of these two?

Will Iyer-Bishnoi get a chance in Nagpur?

If we look at it practically then its possibility and necessity seems to be less. That's because the team has options. In the presence of Tilak and Sundar, it is almost certain that they will be a part of the playing-11. Especially Tilak, who is already set in the batting line-up. In such a situation, there is a place for Iyer but there is a high possibility that backup wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan will get a chance in his place so that he can prepare himself for the top order by coming at number three.

Ishaan is also in the World Cup squad. Therefore, he is more likely to get a chance in place of Iyer. The team will hardly need Bishwoi in this series because the team already has Varun Chakraborty as a bowler like him, while Kuldeep Yadav and Akshar Patel will complete the spin trio. In such a situation, the playing 11 can remain largely the same as it was in the series against South Africa.

Eyes on Captain Suryakumar

As far as performance is concerned, most eyes will be on captain Suryakumar Yadav. There has been no big innings from Surya's bat for the last one and a quarter year. Last year was the worst of his international career, in which he could not score even a single half-century, while there were hardly more than 200 runs and the strike rate was also less than 115. In such a situation, the captain's form is important for Team India just before the T20 World Cup.

India's probable playing-11

Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Shivam Dubey, Varun Chakraborty, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah.