India vs New Zealand Prediction & Match Preview – 4th T20I, Visakhapatnam
Match summary
Preview of India vs New Zealand, 4th T20I in Visakhapatnam: series form, key batters and bowlers, likely XIs, pitch, weather and expected scores.
Match details
| Match | India vs New Zealand, 4th T20I |
|---|---|
| Series | New Zealand tour of India 2026 |
| Date | 28 Jan 2026 |
| Start time | 1:30 pm GMT / 7:00 pm local |
| Venue | Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam |
| Status | Played |
| Our pick | India |
| Toss pick | New Zealand |
Matches in this series
Match preview
India have played fearless, high-tempo cricket under Gautam Gambhir and have won all three matches in the series. Abhishek Sharma has been the biggest talking point: he has 1267 runs in 36 T20Is and added 84 off 35 balls in Nagpur and 68 off 20 in Guwahati. Opening partner Sanju Samson has managed only 16 runs in three innings. Suryakumar Yadav has found his form again with 171 runs in three matches, and Ishan Kishan has made 113 in two games, including 76 off 32 in Raipur.
The middle order of Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh and Hardik Pandya has offered useful cameos. India have rotated their bowlers with the T20 World Cup in mind: Pandya has four wickets, Jasprit Bumrah, Dube and Varun Chakravarthy three each, and Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav and Ravi Bishnoi two each.
New Zealand are finding the shortest format a hard transition after winning the ODI series, and with three defeats in the five-match series the last two games are tune-ups before the T20 World Cup in February. Glenn Phillips has 145 runs, Mitchell Santner 94 and Mark Chapman 81. Daryl Mitchell scored 352 in the ODIs but has only 60 in three T20I innings. Jacob Duffy has three wickets, Ish Sodhi three, and Matt Henry and Kyle Jamieson two each.
The Visakhapatnam surface generally favours batters, especially early in an innings, with flat, even bounce that has produced many high scores in limited-overs games. As the game goes on it slows and grips a little, bringing spinners into play. Seamers get limited help, so cutters and slower balls are effective, and dew can help the chasing side.
Around 7:00 pm local time on 28 January, Visakhapatnam is expected to be pleasant and dry at roughly 22 to 24°C, with clear to partly cloudy skies, moderate humidity and very little chance of rain.
Expected scores
| Innings | Predicted | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| First innings | 170–185 | – |
| Second innings | 160–175 | – |
India
India have won all three matches so far with fearless batting, while New Zealand are still searching for form in T20Is.
Toss pick: New Zealand
FAQ
Who is our pick for the 4th T20I?
Our preview picks India, who have won all three matches of the series so far.
Will India rest players?
With the series already won, India are likely to rest a few players to keep the squad fresh for the T20 World Cup.
What score is competitive in Visakhapatnam?
A total around 180 should be competitive and put pressure on the side batting second.
Probable XIs
Expected line-ups from our preview. c = captain, wk = wicketkeeper.
India
- Abhishek Sharma
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- Ishan Kishanwk
- Suryakumar Yadavc
- Shreyas Iyer
- Rinku Singh
- Shivam Dube
- Harshit Rana
- Varun Chakravarthy
- Ravi Bishnoi
- Arshdeep Singh
New Zealand
- Devon Conway
- Tim Seifert
- Rachin Ravindra
- Glenn Phillipswk
- Mark Chapman
- Daryl Mitchell
- Mitchell Santnerc
- Kyle Jamieson
- Matt Henry
- Ish Sodhi
- Jacob Duffy
Head-to-head
Earlier meetings of India and New Zealand that we covered.