India captain Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and opted to field first in the fourth T20 International against New Zealand at the Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium on Wednesday evening.
Already holding an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series, India are looking to maintain their dominant form and experiment in this low-pressure encounter. The decision to bowl first was influenced by overnight dew and persistent humidity, which Yadav believes will make chasing the preferable option on a batting-friendly surface.
“We’re choosing to bowl first because the wicket looks good and there was plenty of dew last night, with humidity still high. The ball should come on nicely, so chasing feels like the better option,” Yadav said after the toss. He added that the team aims to “repeat good habits” built over the past year and deliver an entertaining performance for the enthusiastic Vizag crowd.
India made one change to their lineup: left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh replaces wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan, who misses out due to a minor niggle picked up in the previous game. The inclusion strengthens India’s pace attack alongside Jasprit Bumrah, while Sanju Samson continues as the primary wicketkeeper.
India Playing XI:
Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Suryakumar Yadav (c), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Harshit Rana, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah.
New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner acknowledged the challenging conditions, noting the pitch looks excellent but dew could play a significant role later. “It’s special to be playing my 250th T20, but India’s quality has been evident. We need to be sharper with the ball and put up a competitive total,” he said.
New Zealand Playing XI:
Mitchell Santner (c), Tim Seifert (wk), Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Jacob Duffy.
The match, sponsored by IDFC First Bank, is set under lights in Visakhapatnam, a venue with fond memories for Yadav, who first captained India here against Australia a few years ago.
With high-scoring games defining the series so far, another run-fest is anticipated as New Zealand look to salvage pride and India push for a comprehensive series victory.
