Hamilton [New Zealand], October 31 (ANI): With the five-match T20I series already secured, India will look to test their bench strength and finish the tour on a winning note when they take on New Zealand in the fifth and final T20I in Hamilton on Sunday.
The contest marks the end of an extremely busy schedule for India's T20I players, who have been involved in a packed run of fixtures over the past month and a half, including a home series against Afghanistan, a one-off match in Japan, the Asian Games, a home series against West Indies and the ongoing tour of New Zealand, according to Cricinfo.
Several players are expected to return home for a much-needed break before regrouping for the home series against Sri Lanka in late December. However, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan, Axar Patel and Arshdeep Singh will continue their assignments as they move directly into the ODI series against New Zealand, beginning in Auckland on November 4.
Despite the demanding schedule, India have adapted well to the conditions in New Zealand. They overcame jet lag and cold conditions to win in Christchurch before adjusting to the unusual ground dimensions in Wellington. Their only setback came in Auckland, where the challenging dimensions proved difficult to negotiate.
With the series already decided after the first three matches, the final T20I provides India an opportunity to experiment with their combination and give opportunities to players who have not featured regularly.
Shivam Dube could get an opportunity in place of Nitish Kumar Reddy, who is also part of India's squad for the first ODI and the India A squad for the third four-day match against New Zealand A ahead of the two-Test series.
Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav are among the players who have not featured in the series so far. However, including either spinner could affect India's batting depth, with Axar Patel providing an additional option with the bat.
For New Zealand, the final match offers an opportunity to improve their head-to-head record against India in T20Is this year. The hosts have suffered eight defeats in 10 T20I encounters against India in 2026.
New Zealand opener Tim Seifert will be eager to rediscover his form after a disappointing run in the series. He has managed just 36 runs in four innings at a strike rate of 105.88. The batter, who was an important contributor to New Zealand's batting during the T20 World Cup earlier this year, will look to make an impact on his home ground in Hamilton, according to Cricinfo.
India's Ishan Kishan will also be keen to deliver a strong performance. He scored just one run in the series opener in Christchurch before missing the second and third matches due to a groin injury. He returned to the playing XI in the fourth T20I in Auckland but was dismissed for a duck.
According to CricViz stats, Glenn Phillips has been in outstanding form, scoring 276 runs in four matches in the ongoing series. Among New Zealand batters, only Mark Chapman has scored more runs in a five-match bilateral T20I series, with 290 runs against Pakistan in 2023. The overall record belongs to England's Phil Salt, who scored 331 runs in five matches against West Indies in 2023. Phillips is now just 56 runs away from surpassing Salt's tally and creating a new record for the most runs in a five-match bilateral T20I series
Axar Patel has operated at a higher average bowling speed of 97 kph compared to Mitchell Santner's 89 kph. The difference is also evident in their lengths. Santner has bowled 55% of his deliveries fuller than the 5-metre mark and 45% shorter, suggesting a more balanced use of lengths. In contrast, Axar has bowled 28% of his deliveries fuller, with 72% being shorter than 5 metres.
India could also consider resting Arshdeep Singh ahead of the ODI series, which begins just three days after the conclusion of the T20I leg. With the left-arm pacer included in the squad for all five ODIs, Bhuvneshwar Kumar could return to the T20I playing XI in his place.
Another selection question for India concerns the possibility of including Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the top order following Kishan's return from injury.
With the series outcome already settled, Sunday's contest will provide both teams an opportunity to address their combinations, while India will look to sign off the T20I leg with another strong performance before shifting focus to the 50-over format.
Squad of both teams for 5th T20I:
India Squad: Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan(w), Shreyas Iyer(c), Tilak Varma, Naman Dhir, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Shivam Dube, Varun Chakaravarthy, Auqib Nabi, Kumar Kushagra, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
New Zealand Squad: Tim Seifert(w), Finn Allen, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Bevon Jacobs, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner(c), Nathan Smith, Adam Milne, Jacob Duffy, Matthew Fisher, Kyle Jamieson, Devon Conway, Josh Clarkson, Blair Tickner. (ANI)
India eye winning finish in fifth T20I against New Zealand
