Last Updated on 15 seconds ago by Charbel Coorey

India will play their 40th men’s T20I of the year as they seek answers on the bowling front. After taking a 3-0 series lead, India was completely outplayed in Auckland after conceding 259/7.

That score was the 11th time India have conceded 200+ in T20Is this year. That is the most by any team in a calendar year, which leaves room for improvement despite their strong recent run. Winning this series off such a short turnaround after the Asian Games and West Indies series is a solid effort, but can they top it off in Hamilton?

“We fell short in our bowling. The powerplay, especially in the third over, they got the momentum thereon,” Shreyas Iyer said after the 87-run loss at Eden Park. “Exceptional shots from Glenn [Phillips], some phenomenal shots, pure bliss. Important to restrospect, we have to see how to bounce back.”

For New Zealand, 3-2 certainly sounds better than 4-1. Their batting has been strong this series, but the fact the bowlers bounced back well on a small ground in Auckland is cause for encouragement. The challenge is to repeat their output against a strong India batting lineup.

Glenn Phillips has been superb throughout the series, peaking with a terrific hundred last time out. If Tim Seifert and Finn Allen can get going, the Black Caps will be placed for another big total in Hamilton.

NZ vs IND 5th T20 2026 Possible Playing XIs: Will Glenn Phillips and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi play in this game?

Glenn Phillips was off the field for India’s run chase in Auckland. He had a hamstring niggle, but he stated after the match that it was precautionary for him not to field. However, New Zealand may opt not to risk him for this match.

“It’s feeling alright. Hopefully nothing too major. Probably more on the precautionary end than anything else. We’ve got a massive summer coming up ahead, and obviously I don’t necessarily do anything at less than 100%, and it just wasn’t worth the risk tonight,” Phillips said, as quoted by Cricket Addictor.

New Zealand: 1. Finn Allen, 2. Tim Seifert (wk), 3. Daryl Mitchell, 4. Glenn Phillips/Devon Conway/Josh Clarkson, 5. Bevon Jacobs, 6. Michael Bracewell, 7. Mitchell Santner (c), 8. Adam Milne, 9. Jacob Duffy, 10. Matt Fisher, 11. Blair Tickner/Nathan Smith

India’s decision not to play Vaibhav Sooryavanshi at Eden Park came under the spotlight. If the teenager gets a game here, it’ll likely be for either Sanju Samson or Ishan Kishan.

Also, India have a call to make on whether they should play an extra spinner in Kuldeep Yadav or Varun Chakravarthy.

India: 1. Abhishek Sharma, 2. Sanju Samson/Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, 3. Ishan Kishan, 4. Shreyas Iyer (c), 5. Axar Patel, 6. Nitish Kumar Reddy/Shivam Dube, 7. Tilak Varma, 8. Naman Dhir, 9. Arshdeep Singh/Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10. Prince Yadav, 11. Mayank Yadav

Seddon Park Hamilton Pitch Report and Weather

Expect good batting conditions at Hamilton. In 14 T20Is at Seddon Park, eight have featured a 180+ score in the first innings. A mild and mostly clear evening is forecast with temperatures to drop to around 12 degrees during the match hours.

Glenn Phillips hopes New Zealand’s 250+ score is the start of more to come.

“It’s our first time being up in that 250 range, I think, or at least in the time that I can remember. So who knows, maybe that’s something that we can take in, I guess, to move forward with,” he said.

NZ vs IND 5th T20 2026 Fantasy Cricket Tips: Who are the top Dream11 captaincy picks for this match?

Top wicket-keeper picks:

• When opening the batting in all T20s this year, Sanju Samson has scored 1,256 runs at an average of 34.9 and strike rate of 174.7. When batting at three, he has scored 27 runs in three innings at an average of 9.00 and strike rate of 103.8.

Key batter picks:

• Abhishek Sharma has hit a 20+ score in nine of his past 10 T20Is, including a superb 113 earlier this week. He’ll look to go hard right form the outset again. He strikes at 205.4 in all T20s in 2026.
• If fit, Glenn Phillips is a must-pick in Dream11. He has smashed 276 runs in this series at an average of 92.00 and strike rate of 189.04.
• Finn Allen has a score of 74 in T20Is at Seddon Park. He strikes at 176.19 in two matches on this ground. He is capable of taking the game away from India.

Top all-rounder picks:

• Mitchell Santner is having a stunning series. Amid all the runs, Santner has taken nine wickets at an average of 11.22 and economy of 6.73.

Key bowler picks:

• Jacob Duffy will look to test the India top order with hard lengths. He took 4/23 in the last match and has an excellent head-to-head record against Ishan Kishan in all T20s (31 balls, 29 runs, three wickets).
• Adam Milne has five wickets in two T20Is at Seddon Park (avg. 14, SR 9.60).
• Arshdeep Singh has taken 40 wickets in 28 innings in T20Is this year.

Other Players to Consider for your Fantasy Cricket Teams

• Daryl Mitchell.
• Bevon Jacobs.
• Michael Bracewell.
• Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
• Ishan Kishan.
• Mayank Yadav.

Other Stats and Important Matchups

• Head-to-head: Matches 35, New Zealand 12, India 22, one tie.
• Tim Seifert has scored just 36 runs in four matches in this series. He is capable of firing – will today be his day?
• Abhishek Sharma has belted 129 in 53 T20 innings this year. Finn Allen is second with 111 sixes in 56 innings.
• Adam Milne vs. Shreyas Iyer (all T20s): 12 balls, 12 runs, three wickets.
• Jacob Duffy vs. Abhishek Sharma (all T20s): 51 balls, 113 runs, two wickets.
• Jacob Duffy vs. Ishan Kishan (all T20s): 31 balls, 29 runs, three wickets.
• Mitchell Santner vs. Sanju Samson (all T20s): 43 balls, 34 runs, four wickets.

NZ vs IND 5th T20 Dream11 Prediction November 1 2026: New Zealand and India seeking strong scores to finish series

Note: The below teams are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these in time. Use the stats and commentary in this article, as well as your own instincts, to create your teams.

Option 1:

Option 2: