Shreyas Iyer-led India, unbeaten in their last two T20 series in New Zealand, will rely on their formidable batting lineup to overcome the relatively inexperienced New Zealand side in the upcoming five-match T20I series, despite having minimal time to acclimatise.
New Zealand batters Mark Chapman and Zak Foulkes have been ruled out of the upcoming T20I series against India due to injuries, with Josh Clarkson and Blair Tickner named as replacements.
India face a bowling test in the second T20I against New Zealand after conceding 226 in the opener, with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi expected to feature.
New Zealand has announced the return of Finn Allen, Lockie Ferguson, and Tim Seifert to their One-Day International squad for the upcoming home series against India, with coach Rob Walter emphasising the importance of these matches for World Cup preparations.
As the cycle enters a crucial phase, the teams now look to strengthen their case for a top-two finish.
Ben Duckett led England's reply with a brisk counterattack as the hosts reached 73 for 1 at tea on Day 2 of the third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge on Friday, responding to the tourists' 438.
New Zealand recalled Adam Milne and Michael Bracewell for their upcoming T20 series against India, while Rachin Ravindra remains sidelined due to a shoulder injury sustained during a promotional shoot.
Devon Conway scored a crucial 60 while Lockie Ferguson and Ben Sears starred with the ball as New Zealand national cricket team beat South Africa national cricket team by 68 runs in the second T20I to level the series.
He is the 10th batter to achieve a double of a double ton and century in a single Test match.
New Zealand took control of the third Test at Trent Bridge with Tom Latham and Devon Conway setting a record partnership for the Kiwis against England on Thursday.
New Zealand, who are 1-0 up in the three-Test series, were 334 for one at stumps with Conway on 178 having hit 25 fours.
West Indies, who trail 1-0 in the three-Test series, finished the day on 43 for no loss, still 419 behind their improbable target. Brandon King was batting on 37, while John Campbell was on two.
Former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh believes the exploding popularity of T20 leagues, particularly the IPL, poses a significant threat to the future of bilateral international cricket, stating that '70 per cent (people are watching club cricket instead of international cricket)'.
Ravindra, Conway pave the way as New Zealand clinch ODI series against West Indies
New Zealand opener Tom Latham has equalled legendary Martin Crowe's record of 17 Test centuries, becoming the joint third-highest century-scorer for his country. This milestone was achieved during his impressive 151-run knock against England in Nottingham, further solidifying his place in New Zealand's cricketing history.
Two-time finalists India are placed fifth and face a challenging path to secure a top-two finish.
New Zealand played themselves into a strong position on day three of the series-deciding third test against England at Trent Bridge.
Opener Devon Conway and debutant Mitchell Hay struck half-centuries to earn New Zealand a handy first-innings lead of 73 before their depleted bowling attack reduced West Indies to 32 for two to take control of the second Test in Wellington on Thursday.
England exploited to the full a Lord's pitch once again offering erratic bounce and lateral movement on Sunday to win the rain-interrupted first Test against New Zealand by 115 runs with a day and two sessions to spare.
Ishan Kishan has ascended to the No.1 spot in the ICC T20I batting rankings, surpassing Abhishek Sharma after strong performances, including at the T20 World Cup. Jasprit Bumrah now leads the Test bowling rankings, while Travis Head is the top Test batter. The latest ICC rankings also show significant movements for other players across T20I and Test formats.
New Zealand battled back to end an absorbing first day of the second Test on 291 for seven after England's new-look pace attack held sway early on at The Oval on Wednesday.
New Zealand took complete command of the second Test against England as Henry Nicholls struck a masterful century in a big partnership with Rachin Ravindra to stretch their lead to 352 on day three at the Oval on Friday.
Ollie Robinson marked his return to England's Test side with a four-wicket haul as New Zealand slid to 61-6 at stumps, trailing by 79 runs after a see-saw opening day of the three-match series at Lord's on Thursday.
New Zealand need 254 runs to defeat England in the opening Test of the three-match series after bowling the hosts out for 226 in their second innings at Lord's on Friday.
Finn Allen has been ruled out of the tournament after suffering a foot injury while representing the San Francisco Unicorns in the Major League Cricket in the United States.
Kane Williamson and Kyle Jamieson return to New Zealand's Test squad for tours of Ireland and England, with Jamieson back after a long injury layoff.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's explosive innings and Donovan Ferreira's late fireworks powered the Rajasthan Royals to a formidable total against Gujarat Titans in the IPL Qualifier 2.
Chennai Super Kings' head coach Stephen Fleming acknowledged that Ruturaj Gaikwad is still developing as captain, as the team's IPL playoff hopes were dented by a loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad.
In a moment of brilliance that set the tone for the India vs New Zealand third T20I in Guwahati, Hardik Pandya produced a stunning piece of athleticism in the very first over of the match.
Out-of-form New Zealand opener Devon Conway will miss the third Test against England in Hamilton to remain at home for the birth of his first child this week
Five-time champions Chennai Super Kings were eliminated from the race for the IPL 2026 playoffs after suffering a humiliating 89-run defeat at the hands of Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad confirmed that he will open the batting alongside new recruit Sanju Samson this season.
Lockie Ferguson's exceptional bowling and Tom Latham's half-century powered New Zealand to an eight-wicket victory over South Africa in Auckland, giving the Kiwis a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.
Five-time champions Chennai Super Kings rode on Urvil Patel's explosive 23-ball 65 to beat Lucknow Super Giants by five wickets in a tense IPL clash and keep their playoff hopes alive in Chennai on Sunday.
New Zealand batters Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway have been struck down with illness ahead of the T20 World Cup but head coach Rob Walter is hopeful of a clean bill of health before their tournament gets underway.
New Zealand aims to regain their form against a formidable Afghanistan in their opening Group D match of the ICC T20 World Cup. Key players and strategies are under scrutiny as both teams seek a strong start in the tournament.
Kishan's statement knock, Surya's welcome fifty give India 2-0 lead
The opener also milked 100 runs for the opening wicket with Devon Conway.
Shivam Dube flickered brightly with a fifty of exceptional quality but it was insufficient to prevent India's 50-run defeat against New Zealand in the fourth T20 International.
South African bowler Marco Jansen reveals he studied and attempted to replicate Jasprit Bumrah's bowling technique after watching replays from a Test match in Kolkata, which led to improved performance in the T20 World Cup.
