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India vs NZ 4th T20I preview: Eden Park, Friday 12:30 pm IST; India lead 3-0 after Abhishek's 113
India face New Zealand in the fourth T20I at Eden Park, Auckland, on Friday 30 October, first ball 12:30 pm IST. India lead the series 3-0 after a six-wicket win in Wellington, where Abhishek Sharma made 113 off 38. The fifth T20I is on 1 November in Hamilton.
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India play New Zealand in the fourth Twenty20 international at Eden Park in Auckland on Friday, 30 October. The first ball is at 8:00 pm local time, which is 12:30 pm in India. India have already won the five-match series, leading 3-0 after a six-wicket win in Wellington on Tuesday, so the two remaining matches are about form and selection and not the result of the series.
The series so far
India won the third T20I by six wickets with 40 balls to spare. New Zealand made 198 for three, with Daryl Mitchell unbeaten on 89. India chased the target in 13.2 overs, led by Abhishek Sharma, who made 113 off 38 balls, and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who made 45 off 19. The two shared an opening stand of 133 in 7.1 overs, and Abhishek was named the Player of the Match.
| Match | Date | Venue | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st T20I | 22 October | Christchurch | 12:30 pm |
| 2nd T20I | 24 October | Christchurch | 12:30 pm |
| 3rd T20I | 27 October | Wellington | 12:30 pm |
| 4th T20I | 30 October | Auckland | 12:30 pm |
| 5th T20I | 1 November | Hamilton | 12:30 pm |
The former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has suggested that India could rotate their playing eleven, and said that a spinner or Mayank Yadav might come into the side. India's squad of 16 has several players who have not played every match, including Sanju Samson, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Dhir, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Varun Chakaravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav. Ishan Kishan, the wicketkeeper-batter, has been reported to have missed the last two matches because of an injury, though one preview lists him in the squad without any injury information. The team has not named its eleven.
New Zealand have injuries and workload decisions to deal with. Rachin Ravindra is out of the T20I series with a dislocated right shoulder, and Ben Sears is unavailable with an ankle injury. Lockie Ferguson is back for the last two matches, Josh Clarkson is available for them and Blair Tickner joins the squad. Matt Henry is preparing for the one-day series. Mitchell Santner leads the side, and Finn Allen, Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips are its main batters.
Eden Park
The ground has short straight boundaries, which favour power hitters, and bowlers need discipline, movement with the new ball and changes of pace, especially at the end of an innings. The pitch report and the weather for match day were not available in the previews. India have a good record at the ground, having won all three men's T20Is played there against New Zealand. The last one was in 2020, when India made 204 for four, the highest T20I total by India against New Zealand at the venue.
The two squads, as listed in the previews, are as follows. India: Shreyas Iyer, Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Dhir, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Varun Chakaravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav. New Zealand: Mitchell Santner, Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Bevon Jacobs, Kyle Jamieson, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Tim Seifert and Nathan Smith.
The previews name a likely India side of Abhishek, Samson, Sooryavanshi, Iyer, Tilak, Dube, Nitish Reddy, Dhir, Axar, Arshdeep and Bhuvneshwar, and a New Zealand side built around Allen, Seifert, Conway, Mitchell, Phillips, Bracewell, Santner, Duffy, Jamieson, Ferguson and Tickner. These are watch lists and not confirmed elevens.
Previews point to Abhishek Sharma against the New Zealand new-ball bowlers, Bhuvneshwar Kumar against Finn Allen, and the spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakaravarthy against Glenn Phillips. Shreyas Iyer, Tilak Varma and Sooryavanshi are the other Indian batters to watch.
The fifth T20I is on 1 November at Seddon Park in Hamilton. The one-day series then begins on 4 November in Auckland, with Shubman Gill leading the squad for the first three matches, and Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma returning. Fast bowler Prasidh Krishna has been ruled out of that series with a hamstring injury, according to reports.
The match can be followed live on the broadcasters' channels and streaming services in India, though the previews do not name them.
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