IND vs NZ 2026 5th T20 predicted playing XI: Ishan Kishan set to return as India face BIG Sanju Samson call

New Delhi: Suryakumar Yadav-led India will look to finish the series on a high when the Men in Blue face New Zealand in the fifth and the final T20I at Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday.

India are currently in the driver seat as they sealed the five-match series by winning the first three games, but New Zealand emerged victorious in the fourth T20 in Vishakhapatnam, going down by 50 runs.

Tim Seifert played an impactful knock for New Zealand with a blistering half-century, while Devon Conway and Daryl Mitchell added vital runs to power the visitors post a massive total of 215/7. In response, Shivam Dube impressed with a destructive knock, but the lack of support from the rest of the batting line-up saw India fall well short of the target.

Sanju Samson will look to score big in front of his home crowd

Given that this is India’s final match before the T20 World Cup, the management is expected to give game time to players who will feature in the tournament.

Wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson will be keen to score big in the fifth T20I in front of his home crowd. He has managed to score only 40 runs across four matches.

Ishan Kishan and Axar Patel to return to the side

Ishan Kishan is set to return to the side and he will walk into bat at No. 3, allowing skipper Suryakumar Yadav to move back to his preferred No. 4 position. Meanwhile, India will rely on Shivam Dube once again and he will be tasked with providing a quick burst of runs and also expected to offer a useful bowling option for India.

Axar Patel might return to the side after recovering from a finger injury he picked up in the first T20I. Varun Chakaravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav are likely to feature as the specialist spinners, while the pace attack is expected to be led by Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh. Meanwhile, all-rounder Hardik Pandya might be rested after featuring in the first four matches.

India predicted XI for 5th T20I vs New Zealand: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh