India (IND) and New Zealand (NZ) are all in readiness to cross swords for one last time in the series, as the stage looks set to host the fifth T20I on Saturday, January 31, at the Greenfield International Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram. The hosts have already clinched the series, as the scoreline currently reads 3-1.

India looked absolutely dominant throughout the first three games of the series, clinching important wins in Nagpur, Raipur, and Guwahati. However, they lacked unity and stability in their approach for the fourth T20I in Visakhapatnam, losing by 50 runs.

The Suryakumar Yadav-led side will look to make it 4-1 in Thiruvananthapuram, before moving onto their title defense at the T20 World Cup 2026.

New Zealand, on the other hand, finally showed some resistance and teamwork in the previous encounter, as they thumped the Men in Blue to clinch their first win of the five-match assignment. They should not feel satisfied, though, since the series finale gives them the perfect opportunity to gain the much-needed confidence before the Mitchell Santner-led unit heads into the twenty-team tournament.

IND vs NZ: Match Details

Match	India vs New Zealand, 5th T20I, New Zealand tour of India 2026
Date and Time (IST)	Saturday, January 31, 7:00 PM
Venue	Greenfield International Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram
Broadcast and Live-streaming	JioStar Network Channels and JioHotstar (App & Website)

Greenfield International Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram: Pitch Report

The Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram has hosted four men's T20I fixtures so far, where India have lost just once, highlighting the strong record that the Men in Blue boast here.

The venue offers a well-balanced surface, but it has shown the tendency to slow down as the game progresses. Getting a big total in the first innings, ideally above 220, is the only way to maximise the chances of winning at this venue. A mouthwatering contest is expected to be staged here on Saturday.

IND vs NZ: Head-to-Head T20I Record

Matches Played	29
Won by IND	15
Won by NZ	11
Tied / No Results	03
First-ever Fixture	September 16, 2007 (NZ Won)
Most Recent Fixture	January 28, 2026 (NZ Won)

IND vs NZ: Predicted Playing XIs India

Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Jasprit Bumrah, and Varun Chakravarthy

New Zealand

Tim Seifert (wicketkeeper), Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner (captain), Jimmy Neesham, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi

IND vs NZ: Probable Best Performers Probable Best Batter: Devon Conway

After a string of failures in the first three matches, Devon Conway finally found the middle of the bat in Visakhapatnam, courtesy of which he took the Indian bowlers to the cleaners, especially during the powerplay overs. If the BlackCaps' opener is able to get a start in the fifth T20I, he is likely to convert it into a big score.

Probable Best Bowler: Jasprit Bumrah Jasprit Bumrah (Source : BCCI)

Jasprit Bumrah is among the very few bowlers in T20 cricket who can succeed on any kind of wicket. He has been one of the most consistent performers for the Men in Blue in the shortest format of the game over the years, and the same has continued in the ongoing series as well, where the Ahmedabad-born has accounted for four wickets, bowling at an extremely frugal economy rate of 7.63, underlining his ability to rise to the occasion. The speedster will be looking to end the series with a memorable spell.

Today's Match Prediction: Team batting first to win the match