India’s Vaibhav Sooryavanshi bats during the second T20 cricket international between New Zealand and India in Christchurch, New Zealand. File.
| Photo Credit: AP
Even though the Indian team management is steadfast in their backing of the established line, the Auckland shellacking might have triggered thoughts of making some tactical rejigging to the playing XI in the fifth and final T20I against New Zealand in Hamilton on Sunday (November 1, 2026).
India has an unassailable 3-1 lead, but the World champions would certainly not want to sign off with a defeat after dominating the early part of the five-match series.
In that context, the think-tank will ponder whether to bring back Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and the obvious casualty will be Sanju Samson.
The bowling department too has its own issues to deal with despite keeping the Kiwis to below 200 in the second and third T20Is.
India has been heavily reliant on Arshdeep Singh and to a lesser extent Axar Patel for wickets and control after the much-celebrated return of Bhuvneshwar Kumar failed to yield results. The only way to bring in either Kuldeep Yadav or Varun Chakaravarthy is to bench Naman Dhir.
India’s spin-bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule had said that both Kuldeep and Varun were ready to step in any time, even though that chance might not come their way in this series. The home side will take a lot of heart from the efforts of century-maker Glenn Phillips and Michael Bracewell, who made a power-packed fifty, going into this match.
It will however, require another huge effort to narrow the margin of defeat.
Match starts at 12.30 p.m. IST.
Published – November 01, 2026 05:45 am IST
