Fifth T20I: India win toss, opt to bat against New Zealand

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Team India won the toss and decided to bat first in the fifth and final T20I against New Zealand at the Greenfield International Stadium on Saturday.

The Men in Blue have pocketed the five-match T20I series, securing a 3-1 unassailable lead. However, the hosts suffered a convincing 50-run defeat in Visakhapatnam during the fourth T20I against New Zealand.

The five-match T20I series between India and New Zealand will help both countries prepare for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, starting next month in India and Sri Lanka.

🚨 Toss Update 🚨#TeamIndia elect to bat in the Final #INDvNZ T20I

Updates ▶️ https://t.co/Thau28CPuZ@IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/9Wo6lLsnUs

— BCCI (@BCCI) January 31, 2026

After winning the toss, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav said there was a lot of dew yesterday, and they want to test their side ahead of the upcoming T20 World Cup.

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“We are going to bat first. We were here last night, there was a lot of dew (yesterday), and we want to test ourselves. The groundsman says it will be true for 40 overs. Axar returns, Ishan returns, and one more. Don’t worry, Thiruvananthapuram, Sanju Samson is playing tonight. We are waiting for him (Tilak). We have almost covered all the departments, every game we learn something and take it forward.”

After losing the toss, New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner said, “It might not be too dewy tonight. We have four changes – Allen in for Conway, Neesham in for Chapman, and KJ and Lockie in. It is always nice to have them back. And it is an opportunity to see what they have got.”

Teams:
New Zealand (Playing XI): Tim Seifert(w), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Bevon Jacobs, Mitchell Santner(c), Kyle Jamieson, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson, Jacob Duffy

India (Playing XI): Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson(w), Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah. (ANI)