IND vs NZ LIVE, 3rd T20I: New Zealand 6/1 (1 ovr), Hardik takes stunning catch, Conway falls

IND vs NZ LIVE, 3rd T20I: Hardik Pandya’s stunning catch has helped Harshit Rana dismiss Devon Conway for a 4th time this series. India opted to bowl first in Guwahati. They have rested Varun Chakaravarthy and Arshdeep Singh for Jasprit Bumrah and Ravi Bishnoi. After a dominating win in Raipur, Team India take on New Zealand in the 3rd T20I of the five-match series in Guwahati on Sunday. With a 2-0 lead, Suryakumar Yadav & Co will look to wrap the series up. So far, India’s batting has been superb while the Kiwis have struggled with the ball. Since the Barsapara International Cricket Stadium also offers smaller boundaries and has an extreme dew effect, the chasing team will be the favourite. However, with three T20Is to go for the T20 World Cup 2026, focus will be on the combination and not just the series win.

Match Details

Match: India vs New Zealand 3rd T20I
Venue: Barsapara Cricket Stadium (ACA-VDCA), Guwahati
Date: January 25, 2026 (Sunday)
Start Time: 7:00 PM IST (Toss at 6:30 PM IST)
Series Status: India lead 2-0
Captains: Suryakumar Yadav (India), Mitchell Santner (New Zealand)

IND vs NZ Playing 11s

India Playing XI

Sanju Samson (WK), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Harshit Rana, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah

New Zealand Playing XI

Devon Conway, Tim Seifert (WK), Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner (C), Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Jacob Duffy

IND vs NZ Live Streaming Details

In India, the match will be broadcast live on Star Sports Network (Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 HD, etc.).
Live streaming is available on JioHotstar (free with Jio subscription or paid plans).

Live

IND vs NZ 3rd T20I LIVE: Rachin Ravindra comes in

25/01/2026 19:08

Hardik Pandya with the second over as India keep Jasprit Bumrah in reserve. Rachin Ravindra has joined Tim Seifert on the crease.

IND vs NZ 3rd T20I LIVE: Harshit gets Conway again

25/01/2026 19:04

What an unbelievable catch by Hardik Pandya. Harshit Rana gets Devon Conway for a 4th time this series as he tried to clear the infield. But here, it's Pandya's stunning catch that made the difference. NZ 2/1.

IND vs NZ 3rd T20I LIVE: Conway-Seifert to begin for New Zealand

25/01/2026 18:59

Devon Conway and Tim Seifert (WK) will begin for New Zealand. After three dismissals against Harshit Rana, Conway will be cautious. Seifert will look to give New Zealand a flying start.

IND vs NZ 3rd T20I LIVE: Padma awards announced

25/01/2026 18:47

Elsewhere, India's two World Cup-winning captains, Rohit Sharma and Harmanpreet Kaur, have been conferred Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian award.

IND vs NZ 3rd T20I LIVE: New Zealand Playing XI

25/01/2026 18:37

Devon Conway
Tim Seifert (WK)
Rachin Ravindra
Glenn Phillips
Mark Chapman
Daryl Mitchell
Mitchell Santner (C)
Kyle Jamieson
Matt Henry
Ish Sodhi
Jacob Duffy

IND vs NZ 3rd T20I LIVE: India Playing XI

25/01/2026 18:36

Sanju Samson (WK)
Abhishek Sharma
Ishan Kishan
Suryakumar Yadav (C)
Shivam Dube
Hardik Pandya
Rinku Singh
Harshit Rana
Ravi Bishnoi
Kuldeep Yadav
Jasprit Bumrah

IND vs NZ 3rd T20I LIVE: India opt to bowl

25/01/2026 18:33

Suryakumar Yadav has won the toss and opted to bowl first, considering Guwahati's dew factor. Arshdeep Singh and Varun Chakaravarthy are rested. Ravi Bishnoi and Bumrah are back.

IND vs NZ 3rd T20I LIVE: Toss coming up shortly

25/01/2026 18:21

In 10 minutes, there will be toss in Guwahati and the winner of the toss could very well win the match. Despite batting-friendly pitches, Guwahati has a huge impact of dew.

IND vs NZ 3rd T20I LIVE: The Samson problem

25/01/2026 18:13

In the 1st T20I, Sanju Samson was dismissed after playing two sloppy shots. In the 2nd T20I, it was more of an instinctive flick that got him out. Ashwin has defended him.

“It wasn’t that there was a rush of blood or that he wasn’t calm. He just saw the ball and went for it. That’s how you should instinctively bat, but it just didn’t go his way,” Ashwin said.

IND vs NZ 3rd T20I LIVE: Will India drop Samson?

25/01/2026 18:06

Despite returning to his favourite position, Sanju Samson is once again under fire for poor returns. He scored 10 and 6 in the first two matches. India have a precedent of dropping misfiring players and Samson has had a fair share of that. But R Ashwin hopes that India do not take such drastic step.

“It’s way too early to think of dropping him. If India keep doing such circus acts by playing Sanju when he did well before, and now Kishan because he’s playing well now, I don’t have to tell how it’ll end for India. It’s not ideal inside the dressing room. There is a lot of competition for places, but it’s too early for this change. It’ll be very unfair. This opening combination has been reverted only for the last two games. A player has got out playing an attacking shot. If you penalise him for that and bench him, how will you witness the best of that player?” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati Pitch Report

25/01/2026 17:57

The pitch at Barsapara Cricket Stadium is traditionally batsman-friendly in T20Is, offering good bounce, pace, and a fast outfield. It supports high-scoring games, with teams often posting 180+ totals when batting first. Spinners can get some grip later, but pacers with variations succeed. Dew could factor in the second innings, favouring the chasing side. Overall, expect a high-scoring encounter with batters dominating.

IND vs NZ 3rd T20I LIVE: What about Axar Patel?

25/01/2026 17:52

Axar Patel missed the 2nd T20I due to a finger injury. With a short turnaround between matches, it is unlikely he is fit. He is likely to return in the next game, instead.

IND vs NZ 3rd T20I LIVE: Will Bumrah return?

25/01/2026 17:45

India rested Jasprit Bumrah from the 2nd T20I for Harshit Rana. While he did not have any discomfort after resting from the ODI series, his workload management ahead of the T20 World Cup is necessary. However, he is likely to return for the Guwahati T20I today. That means either Harshit Rana or Arshdeep Singh will be benched.

IND vs NZ 3rd T20I LIVE: 3 T20Is to go for T20 WC

25/01/2026 17:39

All India have are the three T20Is. With Tilak Varma likely to be back in the last two games, Ishan Kishan has a chance to impress. He scored a brilliant 32-ball 76-run knock in Raipur and another such knock could unsettle Sanju Samson. The Kerala keeper-batter has struggled with both the bat and behind the stumps. If Ishan manages to continue the form, there is a chance that he replaces Sanju as the opener to partner with Abhishek Sharma at some point.

IND vs NZ Head to Head in T20I

25/01/2026 17:30

India and New Zealand have faced each other in 25 T20I matches:

India wins: 14
New Zealand wins: 10
No results/ties: 1 India hold a clear edge, particularly in recent encounters on home soil.

India vs New Zealand 3rd T20I Preview

25/01/2026 17:22

New Zealand, on the other hand, face an uphill battle. Their batting lineup has faltered under pressure, and the bowling attack has lacked penetration against India's firepower. Ishan Kishan blew their bowling away despite dismissing both Indian openers cheaply in Raipur. Zakary Foulkes is likely to be dropped.

The Barsapara pitch, known for favouring batters with quick outfield, could lead to another high-scoring affair. Teams batting first would aim to score 180-200 runs. With dew set to be a huge factor, chasing teams will have an advantage.

India vs New Zealand 3rd T20I Preview

25/01/2026 17:17

India enter the third T20I as overwhelming favourites, having blown away New Zealand in the opening two games of the series. If Abhishek Sharma did the job with the bat in Nagpur, Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav stepped up with the bat in Raipur. While the batting seems sorted, India will look to improve their fielding, catching efficiency and bowling. Jasprit Bumrah is likely to return for the 3rd T20I after being rested in Raipur. However, Axar Patel could still miss out after injuring his finger in Nagpur.

IND vs NZ LIVE: India Squad

25/01/2026 17:15

Sanju Samson(w), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Shreyas Iyer, Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel

IND vs NZ LIVE: New Zealand Squad

25/01/2026 17:15

Devon Conway, Tim Seifert(w), Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner(c), Zakary Foulkes, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Jacob Duffy, James Neesham, Kyle Jamieson, Michael Bracewell, Kristian Clarke, Tim Robinson, Bevon Jacobs

Cricket India vs New Zealand India Cricket New Zealand Cricket Ishan Kishan Mitchell Santner Sanju Samson Suryakumar Yadav