India, Oct. 22 -- The spotlight ahead of India's first T20I against New Zealand was on team selection, particularly whether Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Bhuvneshwar Kumar will feature in the playing XI. While Sooryavanshi is not playing in today's match, Bhuvneshwar is set to return to India's setup for the first time since November 2022. The visitors face a challenging start at Christchurch's Hagley Oval, where seam movement and bounce could test their batters. India also begin the series without Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya, while limited time to adjust to local conditions could make the opening contest even tougher.

New Zealand, meanwhile, will look to make home advantage count as they seek revenge for their 96-run defeat to India in ...