Visakhapatnam erupted in excitement as India clinched the toss in the fourth T20I against New Zealand at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium on Wednesday. Captain Suryakumar Yadav made the strategic call to bowl first, setting the stage for a high-stakes clash in the series.
Team India rolled out with a single change in their lineup. Explosive opener Ishan Kishan was sidelined due to a minor injury, paving the way for pacer Arshdeep Singh to step in. Suryakumar explained post-toss, ‘There was heavy dew during yesterday’s training. We want to repeat our good habits and entertain the fans fully. Ishan has a slight knock, so Arshdeep replaces him.’
New Zealand mirrored the adjustment, bringing in Jack Fox for Kyle Jamieson. Kiwi skipper Mitchell Santner noted, ‘Dew is already settling in. We aim to post a big total on this fine pitch. Lockie and Bracewell are still out, and Allen hasn’t joined yet. Jack Fox comes in for Jamieson.’
India has dominated the series so far, storming to victories in the first three matches: a 48-run thrashing, a seven-wicket rout, and an eight-wicket demolition in Indore. Since the start of 2024, the Men in Blue boast an unbeaten streak of 11 T20 series and tournaments.
New Zealand, on the other hand, is reeling from nine straight T20 losses against India, Australia, and England. In head-to-head battles, India leads with 15 wins out of 28 encounters, New Zealand has 10, and three ended in ties—with India claiming two super overs.
India’s Playing XI: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Suryakumar Yadav (c), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Harshit Rana, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah.
New Zealand’s Playing XI: Tim Seifert (wk), Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner (c), Zachary Foulkes, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Jacob Duffy.
With the series in their pocket, India eyes a clean sweep, while New Zealand fights to salvage pride on a dew-kissed evening. Fans are braced for another thrilling display of T20 fireworks.