India vs New Zealand 3rd T20I: India Opt to Field in Crucial Guwahati T20I

India moved a step closer to sealing the five-match T20I series after captain Suryakumar Yadav chose to field in 3rd T20I against New Zealand at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium on Sunday. With heavy evening dew a familiar factor in Guwahati, India backed their chasing strength in a match that could put the contest beyond New Zealand’s reach.

Leading the series 2–0, India reshuffled their XI with an eye on both workload management and World Cup readiness. Jasprit Bumrah returned to lead the pace attack, while Ravi Bishnoi was drafted in to add bite through the middle overs. Arshdeep Singh and Varun Chakaravarthy were the ones to make way as India fine-tuned combinations rather than standing still after consecutive wins.

New Zealand, staring at a must-win situation, found themselves batting first on a surface expected to quicken early before becoming skiddy later on. Captain Mitchell Santner admitted he would have preferred to bowl as well.

With a packed home crowd and momentum firmly on their side, India will look to keep New Zealand under pressure early, while the Black Caps aim to post a total strong enough to challenge a confident chasing unit.

India Playing XI for 3rd T20I

Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Harshit Rana, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah

New Zealand Playing XI for 3rd T20I

Devon Conway, Tim Seifert (wk), Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner (c), Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Jacob Duffy