Christchurch, 21 October 2026: Shreyas Iyer does not want India to make up their minds about New Zealand’s pitches before they have seen them. On the eve of the five-match T20I series, which starts in Christchurch on 22 October, the India captain said the first job was to settle in and read the surface.
“On a given day, no one knows how the wicket will be,” Iyer said at the pre-match press conference. “So, we’ll try to acclimatise as soon as possible, and if we have a good practice session, then every individual will get a fair idea about how to plan.”
Iyer has played in New Zealand before and said the conditions were “not completely different”, even though home sides there usually get pitches that suit fast bowling.
A long road to Christchurch
India arrive after a busy few months of T20I cricket in Ireland, England, Japan at the Asian Games and at home. Their home series against the West Indies ended 2-2 on 17 October, five days before the first match in Christchurch.
Iyer said the squad had got used to the pace. “We have been playing so continuously, from Japan to India, from India to New Zealand,” he said. “We are getting less sleep, but the more matches we play, the better it is for us.”
He added that there was enjoyment in it too: “It’s fun at the same time to be travelling, playing and getting accustomed to new conditions.”
Bhuvneshwar back after almost four years
The main selection talking point is Bhuvneshwar Kumar, recalled to the T20I side for the first time since November 2022. The seamer swings the new ball, and Iyer said his experience was something the attack had been missing.
“Bhuvi brings a lot of experience to the team. And we were lacking that a little, especially after IPL, we had a lot of new bowlers,” Iyer said. “If you see his career graph in the last two years, he has also won IPL, so he has a very good idea about how to dominate this format.”
Any number, any situation
Iyer has batted at No. 3, No. 4 and No. 5 in recent months and expects the same flexibility from others.
“I can bat at any number; it depends upon the situation,” he said. “Every individual, whoever is in the team, has to be flexible because conditions will demand, situations will demand, and whatever number you get, you have to be happy in that.”
He called the depth in the squad “a sweet headache” and said it kept current players on their toes. “The most important thing is to win the match. That is the eventual goal.”
Sooryavanshi will have to wait
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who hit 175 off 80 balls to be Player of the Match in the ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup 2026 final, is in the squad but is unlikely to walk straight in.
“He is very young and he has more years to get the opportunity,” Iyer said. “Our openers are also scoring consistently and they have also won the (T20) World Cup. So, when he is coming overseas, he will get a fair idea of how to play on these particular wickets.”
World Cup finalists meet again
India beat New Zealand by 96 runs in Ahmedabad in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 final to win a record third title. Iyer accepted that New Zealand know their home grounds better but said it would come down to the cricket on the day.
“On a given day, competition is equal. And when you step onto the field, you only want to win. So, whoever plays the best cricket is going to win.”
India have also named their Test and ODI squads for the rest of the tour.
Fixtures
- First T20I: 22 October, Christchurch
- Second T20I: 24 October, Christchurch
- Third T20I: 27 October, Wellington
- Fourth T20I: 30 October, Auckland
- Fifth T20I: 1 November, Hamilton
