India and New Zealand Begin Five-Match T20I Series Ahead of 2026 World Cup

India and New Zealand begin a five-match T20I series on January 21 at Nagpur's Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, serving as final preparations for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. India, led by Suryakumar Yadav, aim to rebound after losing the recent ODI series, with key players Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah returning. Ishan Kishan returns to bat at number three, replacing the injured Tilak Varma. New Zealand, captained by Mitchell Santner, arrive confident after historic ODI and Test wins in India. The series will be broadcast live on Star Sports and streamed on JioHotstar, with matches starting at 7:00 PM IST.