Very different questions to answer for India and NZ in Vizag

Last time a men's T20I was played in Vizag, it was in the long shadows of a home World Cup, with India's bench strength and a stand-in captain trying their best to mend a billion broken hearts after a loss in the final of the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2023.

This time around, the coastal city hosts a different kind of return, with a full-strength India squad back in town. Not to heal but to hone. Another home World Cup beckons, this time in the shortest format, and India, looking like a million dollars again, arrive with an unfinished story from two years ago. And somehow, Vizag finds itself at the axis of it all once more.

With the series in the bag, India can now afford to shift focus to fine-tuning their squad, which means the spotlight will firmly be on Sanju Samson. The wicketkeeper-batter has not quite found form since reclaiming his spot at the top of the order, and will know that things and selections can evolve quickly. Especially when the man who could replace him is as good as Ishan Kishan. And in that kind of form.

As you would expect, Samson was one of eight players who sweat it out during India's optional practice session on match eve. He spent extended time in the nets, batting in two stints - first facing spin and then throwdowns.

"Sanju is one knock away from getting his form back," India's bowling coach Morne Morkel said. "We all know the cliche word that form is temporary and for us building up to the World Cup, it's important for the guys to find that peak performance at the right time. He's training well, he's hitting the ball very well, so I think it's just a matter of time for him to get a score on board.

"But the main focus is that the team is winning and I think that's important. We're 3-0 up in the series at the moment, the boys are playing some very good cricket and we've got a couple of games now before the start of the World Cup and I have no doubt that Sanju will find his form and runs on the board."

New Zealand, too, kept things light ahead of the fourth T20I, with only three players turning up for the practice session. But there is far more at stake for them, not just in terms of the series scoreline or the World Cup, but in how far behind the modern methods they have looked over the last week or so.

They have not been helped by the flux in the squad, with several first-choice players either injured or unavailable, but the nature of their defeats would hurt. Now they must confront those questions at a venue where they have no T20I experience, knowing full well that Indian batters will come hard at them come what may.

Where: ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam

When: Wednesday, Jan 28, 2026 at 7:00 PM local

What to expect: It's usually a good batting track here but the ball does swing at this venue, which is located about 50 metres above sea level. There was barely any dew during India's late-evening practice session. The word on tickets is that it's "almost a sell-out", so expect a good crowd once again.

Team news:

India

Axar Patel, who hurt his hand while fielding in the first T20I, had a long batting and bowling stint in the nets on match eve, and is expected to be back in the side. India may look to rest Hardik Pandya after three back-to-back matches. Arshdeep Singh was another player who had a long practice session and could come back into the side in place of Harshit Rana.

Probable XI: Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya/Axar Patel, Rinku Singh, Arshdeep Singh, Ravi Bishnoi/Vaun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah

New Zealand

The visitors would love in-form Daryl Mitchell to bat up the order and face a lot more balls, so it will be interesting how they rejig their batting order to enable that. He has, of course, opened for them in a T20 World Cup in the past and that could be an option given how Tim Seifert and Devon Conway have fared so far.

In terms of personnel, Kristian Clarke and Tim Robinson have been released from the squad while Finn Allen is yet to arrive. James Neesham, though, would have had some time to get accustomed and will be in contention. Lockie Ferguson bowled full tilt in the nets but it's unlikely New Zealand will field him just yet.

Probable XI: Daryl Mitchell, Tim Seifert (w), Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner (c), Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Jacob Duffy

Did you know?

- Since the start of 2024, India have won each of the 11 T20I bilateral series/tournaments they have featured in. That's the joint-longest streak alongside Pakistan (2016-18).

- India's batters are striking at 210.98 per 100 balls this series across the first three T20Is; no team has scored at a faster rate in a T20I series where they batted at least thrice.

- NZ have lost their last nine completed T20Is to India, Australia and England.

What they said:

"With the 11 that we can pick on match day, we've got 11 match winners. Everybody has got a certain 'X' factor about them. They know that there's no guarantee of being the 11. It's about who's suited best for the conditions and how we can help the team win at the end of the day." Morne Morkel, India bowling coach

"To sing our winning team song after a nice victory against a good side would be cool, but at the same time, you've got to look a bit deeper than wins and losses. And that's not downplaying the results here, but we've got to make sure that we're looking at the longer term and the bigger picture as well. And, historically, New Zealand have peaked well during the ICC events." Jacob Oram, NZ bowling coach