India face New Zealand in 2nd T20I at Hagley Oval with 19-11 T20I edge

Match Preview: New Zealand vs India, 2nd T20I

India and New Zealand meet at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on 24 October 2026 for the second T20I of India's tour of New Zealand, with the contest scheduled to begin at 12:30pm local time. The match remains yet to begin, with live coverage on Sony and streaming via SonyLIV.

Head-to-head and rankings

India enter as the world's No.2 ranked T20I side, while New Zealand sit fourth. Across 31 completed T20I meetings, India hold a commanding 19-11 advantage over New Zealand.

Recent form

Over the past year, India have played 44 T20Is, winning 28 and losing 12 for a win percentage of 63.64. New Zealand have played 28, winning 12 and losing 13 for a win rate of 42.86 per cent.

Players in form

The standout performers over the last 12 months underline where the threats lie. For New Zealand, wicketkeeper Tim Seifert has scored 491 runs and pacer Jacob Duffy has taken 20 wickets. India's Abhishek Sharma has piled up 1,222 runs in the period, while left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh has claimed 44 wickets.

Squads

New Zealand: Adam Milne, Devon Conway, Daryl Mitchell, Jacob Duffy, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry, Michael Bracewell, Lockie Ferguson, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Seifert, Glenn Phillips, Blair Tickner, Josh Clarkson, Finn Allen, Nathan Smith, Bevon Jacobs.

India: Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Sanju Samson, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Abhishek Sharma, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mayank Yadav, Naman Dhir, Prince Yadav, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.

Related build-up

Elsewhere in the pre-match coverage, New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner warned that his side "have plans for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi," while a separate piece examined why the hosts fear the return of India's "Swing King" Bhuvneshwar Kumar, with one report noting "Bhuvi will love these conditions." Ishan Kishan, meanwhile, is said to be on the verge of three major T20 records as India take on New Zealand.