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NZ vs IND 3rd T20I: India bowl first, lead 2-0 in Wellington
Shreyas Iyer chose to field with the same XI that won in Christchurch, while New Zealand brought in Matthew Fisher, Kyle Jamieson and Adam Milne, needing a win to stop India sealing the five-match series.
NZ vs IND 3rd T20I: India captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss at Hnry Stadium in Wellington on Tuesday, 27 October, and chose to bowl. New Zealand trail the five-match series 0-2 and must win to keep it alive.
Key takeaways
- Iyer called correctly again and put New Zealand in to bat in Wellington; India named the same XI that won in Christchurch.
- Mitchell Santner's side made three changes: Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson and Nathan Smith out; Matthew Fisher, Kyle Jamieson and Adam Milne in.
- India lead 2-0 after two four-wicket wins at Hagley Oval. A third win would seal the series with two matches to spare.
- Arshdeep Singh removed Tim Seifert for 2 in the second over; the match was in progress at the time of writing.
What happened in the NZ vs IND 3rd T20I so far
The toss took place at about 06:32 UTC (12:02 IST), according to the India.com live blog, and play began at about 07:03 UTC with Finn Allen and Tim Seifert opening against Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
India struck early. Seifert was caught by Axar Patel off Arshdeep Singh for 2 from six balls, according to the live blogs of Outlook India and India.com. Allen then went after Bhuvneshwar, hitting two sixes in one over, Outlook India reported, and Daryl Mitchell joined him to rebuild the innings.
India also had an early fitness worry. Tilak Varma hurt his knee while attempting a run-out and left the field, with Kumar Kushagra coming on as a substitute fielder, India.com reported. There was no update on the extent of the injury at the time of writing.
Toss and playing XIs
"We are going to bowl," Iyer said at the toss, adding: "Certain aspects we definitely need to keep improving," according to an ANI report carried by The Tribune. Santner said the surface looked like "another good wicket, some pace and bounce."
| Team | Playing XI |
|---|---|
| New Zealand | Tim Seifert (wk), Finn Allen, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Bevon Jacobs, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Kyle Jamieson, Adam Milne, Jacob Duffy, Matthew Fisher |
| India | Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Dhir, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav |
Source: team sheets as reported by ANI (via The Tribune) and IANS (via SocialNews.XYZ), 27 October 2026.
New Zealand's three changes were made to manage the workload of their fast bowlers ahead of the longer formats against India, according to IANS. India again played without Ishan Kishan, who is still recovering from a groin injury, IANS reported.
How India took a 2-0 lead
India won the opener at Hagley Oval on 22 October by chasing 226 with two balls to spare. Our report on that match covers the NZ vs IND 1st T20I in Christchurch.
The second match, at the same ground on 24 October, was tighter. New Zealand made 180 for 5, led by Glenn Phillips (70 off 43 balls) and Bevon Jacobs (58 off 46), according to the ICC and IANS. Santner took 4 for 21 and India slipped to 70 for 5, but Tilak Varma (51 not out off 26) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (26 not out off 13) finished the chase with one ball left, IANS reported via Siasat.
| Match | Date (2026) | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st T20I | 22 Oct | Hagley Oval, Christchurch | India won by 4 wickets (2 balls left) |
| 2nd T20I | 24 Oct | Hagley Oval, Christchurch | India won by 4 wickets (1 ball left) |
| 3rd T20I | 27 Oct | Hnry Stadium, Wellington | In progress |
| 4th T20I | 30 Oct | Auckland | Scheduled |
| 5th T20I | 1 Nov | Hamilton | Scheduled |
Source: ICC and IANS match reports; schedule as published by the ICC.
What we know and what we don't know yet
What we know: India are unchanged, New Zealand have rotated three seamers, and Matt Henry has been ruled out of the rest of the series, according to Outlook India. The hosts have also struggled with extras, conceding 17 in the opener and 10 in the second match, according to ANI.
What we don't know yet: the final result, the target India will chase, and how serious Tilak Varma's knee problem is. This article will be updated when the match ends.
Background
New Zealand arrive as runners-up of the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup, which India won, as ANI noted in its toss report. The T20I leg is part of a long tour that continues with ODIs and Test matches. Readers following the teams can find related coverage under India Cricket Team and New Zealand Cricket, or in our trending section.
What it means
For New Zealand, Wellington is a must-win game: a loss hands India the series with Auckland and Hamilton still to play. Both earlier games went into the final over, so the margins have been thin despite the 2-0 scoreline. For India, a third straight chase would underline a young batting order that has already overhauled 226 and recovered from 70 for 5 on this tour. The loss of Henry and the rotation of Ferguson and Smith also show New Zealand are already thinking about the ODIs and Tests that follow.
Frequently asked questions
Who won the toss in the NZ vs IND 3rd T20I?
India captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss at Hnry Stadium in Wellington on 27 October 2026 and chose to bowl first, according to ANI and IANS.
What is the India vs New Zealand T20I series score?
India led the five-match series 2-0 before the third match, after four-wicket wins in Christchurch on 22 and 24 October.
What changes did New Zealand make for the 3rd T20I?
Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson and Nathan Smith were left out, with Matthew Fisher, Kyle Jamieson and Adam Milne coming in, according to IANS. India named an unchanged XI.
When are the remaining India vs New Zealand T20Is?
The fourth T20I is in Auckland on 30 October and the fifth in Hamilton on 1 November 2026, according to the ICC.
