With the series already sealed, India are expected to rest Hardik Pandya and test bench strength as Shreyas Iyer eyes a chance in the IND vs NZ 4th T20I at Visakhapatnam.
Visakhapatnam: With India already sealing the five-match T20 series against New Zealand by winning the first three games, the focus now shifts to managing workloads and testing bench strength ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 starting next month.
Hardik Pandya Workload Management
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All-rounder Hardik Pandya, who has been central to India’s bowling and batting this series, is likely to be rested for the 4th T20I on 28 January at the Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam. Management intends to keep him fresh for the global event, considering his past injury concerns and heavy workload.
Shreyas Iyer’s Extended Stay
Although initially brought in as a short-term replacement for the injured Tilak Varma, Shreyas Iyer will stay with the Indian T20I squad for the rest of the series while Varma completes his rehab. This gives selectors and the team management an opportunity to assess Iyer’s T20 credentials more deeply before the T20 World Cup.
Squad Balance & Returning Players
India is expected to update their lineup with a mix of experience and squad players: Ishan Kishan has been in fine form, anchoring the middle order with impactful innings. Axar Patel, after missing earlier games due to a minor injury, could return to reinforce India’s spin balance.
Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh continue as India’s pace spearheads, while Kuldeep Yadav and Ravi Bishnoi handle spin duties.
Milestone on the Horizon
Hardik Pandya recently climbed ahead of Virat Kohli in T20I caps for India, now ranking second only to Rohit Sharma — highlighting his value in the shortest format.
Predicted Playing XI – IND vs NZ 4th T20I
Here’s how the Men in Blue could line up in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday, 28 January:
- Abhishek Sharma (Opener)
- Sanju Samson (WK)
- Ishan Kishan
- Suryakumar Yadav (C)
- Shreyas Iyer
- Shivam Dube
- Axar Patel
- Ravi Bishnoi
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Arshdeep Singh
- Jasprit Bumrah
- (Hardik Pandya, Varun Chakravarthy, Harshit Rana & Rinku Singh – strong bench options)
Match Context & What to Watch
- Series status: India lead 3-0 in the five-match T20I series.
- Venue: ACA-VDCA Stadium, Visakhapatnam, on 28 Jan 2026.
- Key battles: Suryakumar Yadav’s form at the top and New Zealand’s fightback attempt — especially with conditions favoring batters early.
- World Cup implications: With the global tournament around the corner, each player’s performance carries extra weight in selection considerations.
Published: 27 Jan 2026, 08:31 am IST
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