Suryakumar Yadav wins toss, elects to bat first against New Zealand

In the fifth T20I against New Zealand, Team India skipper Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and elected to bat first at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram.

Team India`s management will be expecting wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson to deliver a big knock tonight. Also, in-form Ishan Kishan, who missed out on the previous clash due to injury, has made a return to the side.

Additionally, Axar Patel and Varun Chakaravarthy have also returned to the playing XI.

The match will be the last clash for both teams before entering the T20 World Cup 2026. The marquee tournament is scheduled to begin from February 7 and will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.

After winning the toss, the hosts` skipper Suryakumar said, "We’ve decided to bat first as there was heavy dew last night, and we want to put our bowlers under a proper test. The curator feels the pitch will stay true across the full forty overs, even without much grass on it. Axar, Ishan, and Varun return to the XI, and it’s great to have Sanju Samson playing here in Trivandrum. Tilak is very close; he’s taking his time through practice games, and once he’s back, we’ll be a stronger unit. This series has pushed us in different conditions and situations, which is exactly what we want at this stage. Each game has offered a new lesson, and the focus has been on carrying those learnings forward".

On the other hand, New Zealand`s skipper Mitchell Santner said, "There’s a bit more wind around tonight, so conditions could behave slightly differently from the last game. Bowling first has been a strong area for us in this series, and we’re happy to take on that challenge again. We’ve made four changes: Finn comes in for Conway, Jacobs replaces Chapman, KJ returns, and Lockie comes in for Matt Henry. A couple of these moves are precautionary, with minor niggles we’re keen to manage carefully. Matt Henry’s workload is being monitored, so rotation is important with bigger games coming up. Having Finn and Lockie back adds quality, and this match is another step in building toward the business end".

IND vs NZ 5th T20I: Confirmed Playing XI

India: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah.

New Zealand: Tim Seifert (WK), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Bevon Jacobs, Mitchell Santner (C), Kyle Jamieson, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson, Jacob Duffy.