In the first T20I match against Team India, New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner won the toss and elected to bowl first at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur.

Recently, the "Black Caps" registered a 2-1 triumph against the "Men in Blue" in the three-match ODI series. The visitors will look to continue their momentum in the shortest format series as well.

Kristian Clarke is set to make his T20I debut for New Zealand, whereas Michael Bracewell will miss out on the clash due to a calf niggle.

After winning the toss, Santner said that he feels that the wicket in Nagpur will be suitable for high scores. He also sees the series as a good challenge before the arrival of the T20 World Cup.

"We`ll bowl first, wicket looks good for high scores. The guys did something special last week, tough to win in India. Five tough games ahead of the T20 World Cup, good challenge. Everyone`s been playing cricket, whether ODIs or franchise games. Kristian Clarke makes his debut. We`ve got 3 spinners. Bracewell`s got a calf niggle, we`ll see how it goes," he said.

Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav said that even his side was looking to bowl, but also stated that batting first will help them find the right combinations for the T20 World Cup 2026. He informed that Team India will miss the services of Shreyas Iyer and Harshit Rana in the clash due to injuries.

"Happy to bat first, though we were also looking to bowl. Dew`s been a factor here the past few days. Batting first will help us fine-tune for World Cup scenarios. Nice atmosphere in the change room. Only two shuffles due to injuries, missing Shreyas and Harshit. Looking to put runs on board," said the 35-year-old cricketer.

IND vs NZ 1st T20I: Confirmed Playing XI
India: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakavarthy, Jasprit Bumrah.

New Zealand: Tim Robinson, Devon Conway (WK), Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner (C), Kristian Clarke, Kyle Jamieson, Ish Sodhi, Jacob Duffy.