India Opts to Bowl First in Second T20I Against New Zealand

In the second T20I against New Zealand at Hagley Oval, India captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and chose to bowl first, citing the dew factor. With Ishan Kishan injured, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi steps in to bat at No. 3. New Zealand's captain Mitchell Santner remains optimistic despite a previous loss and has made one change to the lineup. India leads the series 1-0 after a thrilling victory in the opener. Read on for detailed lineups and match context.

By Narendra Chaudhary Oct 24, 2026, 12:45 IST

Toss Update from Christchurch

In the second T20I of the five-match series at Hagley Oval, Christchurch, Team India captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and decided to bowl first against New Zealand. Iyer explained that the decision was influenced by the dew factor and announced two changes to the lineup. Ishan Kishan, who is sidelined due to a low-grade right adductor strain, has been replaced by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who will bat at the No. 3 position. Additionally, Prince Yadav has come in for Mayank Yadav.

New Zealand's Strategy

New Zealand's captain, Mitchell Santner, expressed confidence in his team's abilities despite their less-than-stellar performance in the previous match. He confirmed that Jacob Duffy would replace Adam Milne for this game. Santner remarked, "We know we are a good team; even though we were a bit off the ball, we still fought hard and had a great match. Yesterday was just a refresh day. Duffy is in for Milne; that's the only change - just a bit of rotation for the seamers with a lot of Test cricket coming up."

Series Context and Lineups

India enters the second T20I with a 1-0 advantage in the series, having won the first match by four wickets. Sanju Samson played a pivotal role in the chase, scoring a brisk 67 runs off 33 balls, while Naman Dhir contributed an explosive unbeaten 42 runs off just 15 deliveries, helping India secure victory with two balls remaining. Captain Shreyas Iyer also added 42 runs from 28 balls. In the earlier match, Glenn Phillips was the standout performer for New Zealand, scoring an impressive 82 runs off 40 balls, while Finn Allen made 45 runs off 24 balls, leading New Zealand to a total of 225/4, their highest score in home T20Is.

Playing 11s

India's playing XI: Sanju Samson (w), Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Dhir, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav.

New Zealand's playing XI: Finn Allen, Tim Seifert (w), Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Bevon Jacobs, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Nathan Smith, Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson.