India vs New Zealand 5th T20I Prediction & Match Preview – Thiruvananthapuram
Match summary
India lead 3–1 but their bowling is leaking runs. Read our preview of the 5th T20I in Thiruvananthapuram, with pitch notes, weather and expected XIs.
Match details
| Match | India vs New Zealand, 5th T20I |
|---|---|
| Series | New Zealand tour of India 2026 |
| Date | 31 Jan 2026 |
| Start time | 1:30 pm GMT / 7:00 pm local |
| Venue | Greenfield International Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram |
| Status | Played |
| Our pick | India |
| Toss pick | New Zealand |
Matches in this series
Match preview
India’s habit of experimenting with combinations backfired in the fourth T20I. New Zealand won by 50 runs, ending a three-match losing run and halting India’s own three-game winning streak. Even with five specialist bowlers and two all-rounders, India conceded 215 while bowling first, the second time in the series they have given up more than 200 in that situation.
Powerplay wickets have been hard to come by and the run rate has hovered close to ten an over. Varun Chakravarthy has been the only spinner to make a real impact and is expected back. Jasprit Bumrah has gone for 7.63 an over, while Hardik Pandya has four wickets at an economy under nine. Sanju Samson plays at his home ground for India for the first time, and a big innings may be due despite a quiet series.
New Zealand, already 3–0 down before that win, finally looked balanced. Tim Seifert hit 62 off 36 balls, Devon Conway 44 off 23 and Daryl Mitchell 39 off 18 from number six. Rachin Ravindra is short of form, so Conway may move to number three. Matt Henry has been the pick of the bowlers, with Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi the main spin options.
Greenfield International Stadium usually offers a fair contest between bat and ball. Fast bowlers find some bounce and movement with the new ball, and the surface slows later, bringing spinners into play in the middle overs. Batting is not always easy, and those who spend time at the crease are rewarded. Dew can make chasing easier at night, so captains often prefer to bowl first.
Around 7:00 pm it should be warm and mostly clear at 25–27 °C, with moderate to high coastal humidity and light breezes. There is little to no chance of rain, though dew may settle later and help the side batting second.
Expected scores
| Innings | Predicted | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| First innings | 150–165 | – |
| Second innings | 145–160 | – |
India
India are expected to field their strongest side before the World Cup, with Varun Chakravarthy returning, though their bowling concerns keep New Zealand in the contest.
Toss pick: New Zealand
FAQ
Who is likely to win India vs New Zealand in the 5th T20I?
Our preview picks India, who are expected to field their strongest XI in this last game before the T20 World Cup.
What happened in the fourth T20I?
New Zealand won by 50 runs after India conceded 215 while bowling first, ending India’s three-match winning run.
What is a good total at Thiruvananthapuram?
Anything above 160 batting first can be match-winning on this balanced surface.
Probable XIs
Expected line-ups from our preview. c = captain, wk = wicketkeeper.
India
- Abhishek Sharma
- Sanju Samsonwk
- Suryakumar Yadavc
- Rinku Singh
- Hardik Pandya
- Shivam Dube
- Harshit Rana
- Ravi Bishnoi
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Arshdeep Singh
- Jasprit Bumrah
New Zealand
- Tim Seifertwk
- Devon Conway
- Rachin Ravindra
- Glenn Phillips
- Mark Chapman
- Daryl Mitchell
- Mitchell Santnerc
- Zakary Foulkes
- Matt Henry
- Ish Sodhi
- Jacob Duffy
Head-to-head
Earlier meetings of India and New Zealand that we covered.