India vs New Zealand: Team India had a great start to the ongoing 5-match T20I series, having taken a massive 2-0 lead against New Zealand.
Suryakumar Yadav and his men are just one win away from securing another T20I series win, leaving two more games to spare in Visakhapatnam and Thiruvananthapuram.
The forthcoming clash in Guwahati promises to be a significant one, particularly for New Zealand to stay alive in the series.
To predict the winner of the IND vs NZ 3rd T20I 2026, let’s delve deeper into their head-to-head rivalry, weather conditions, pitch report, toss-winning captain’s decision, and the predicted strongest playing XI.
IND vs NZ 3rd T20I 2026 Match Details
- Men’s T20I Number: 3669
- Date: January 25, 2026
- Day: Sunday
- Venue: Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati (Assam)
- Maximum Seating Limit: 40,000
- Match Timings:07 pm to 11 pm IST
Head-to-Head Records of India vs New Zealand T20I Matches
India’s numbers in the head-to-head stats are far more than exceptional compared to New Zealand, and here is a detailed report:
| Total T20Is Played (INDIA vs NEW ZEALAND) | 27 |
| Matches Won | INDIA: 16, and NEW ZEALAND: 10 |
| Winnings at Home | INDIA: 09, and NEW ZEALAND: 04 |
| Winnings Away | INDIA: 07, and NEW ZEALAND: 04 |
| Winnings at Neutral Venue | INDIA: 0, and NEW ZEALAND: 02 |
| Highest T20I Innings Total | INDIA: 238/7, and NEW ZEALAND: 219/6 |
| Lowest T20I Innings Total | INDIA: 79/10, and NEW ZEALAND: 66/10 |
| India’s Highest Successful Run Chase | 209/3 in 15.3 overs (on 23rd January 2026) in Raipur |
| New Zealand’s Highest Successful Run Chase | 166/3 in 18.5 overs (on 25th February 2009) in Christchurch |
| India’s Lowest Total Defended Successfully | 163/6 in 20 overs (on 2nd February 2020) in Mount Maunganui |
| New Zealand’s Lowest Total Defended Successfully | 126/7 in 20 overs (on 15th March 2016) in Nagpur |
Guwahati Latest Weather Reports for IND vs NZ 3rd T20I 2026
After analyzing the recent weather forecast reports, it is understood that there are no threats of rainshowers to interrupt the game flow during the 3rd T20I between India and New Zealand:
- Temperature: 16°C
- Wind Speed: 13 km/hr
- Humidity: 82%
- Cloud Cover: 1%
- Probability of Rainfall to Occur: NIL
- Dew Point: 14°
Barsapara Stadium Pitch Conditions: Batting or Bowling Friendly?
Once again, fans can expect perfect entertainment in the forthcoming high-scoring thriller as the Barsapara pitches have traditionally been batter-friendly.
While pacers dominate in the initial overs with huge bounce and swing, batters’ aggressive intent can prove to be lethal on such flat surfaces as the innings progress.
Also, the short boundaries make it easier to compile huge runs through power-hitting strokes.
Batting or Bowling: Experts’ Suggestion for Toss Winning Captain
The dew factor remains most decisive for the batting sides in the upcoming match. This is because the excessive dew in the evenings makes it difficult for spinners to grip the ball with perfection.
Experts recommend the toss-winning captain to bowl first, as chasing would be the tactical preference to achieve glory in a 200+ run chase.
Best Predicted Playing XI for IND vs NZ 3rd T20I 2026
India and New Zealand are likely to make changes in the playing XI by including the maximum number of all-rounders. This enhances the batting depth and adds proper balance to the bowling department for the upcoming match.
India’s Preferred XI for 3rd T20I 2026 vs New Zealand:
| S.No | Player | Role | Batting Style | Bowling Style |
| 1. | Abhishek Sharma | All-Rounder | Left-Handed | Spinner |
| 2. | Sanju Samson | Wicketkeeper and Batter | Right-Handed | – |
| 3. | Ishan Kishan | Wicketkeeper and Batter | Left-Handed | – |
| 4. | Suryakumar Yadav (Captain) | Batter | Right-Handed | – |
| 5. | Hardik Pandya | All-Rounder | Right-Handed | Pacer |
| 6. | Shivam Dube | All-Rounder | Left-Handed | Pacer |
| 7. | Rinku Singh | Batter | Left-Handed | – |
| 8. | Axar Patel | All-Rounder | Left-Handed | Spin |
| 9. | Harshit Rana | Bowler | Right-Handed (developing all-rounder) | Pacer |
| 10. | Jasprit Bumrah | Bowler | – | Pacer |
| 11. | Arshdeep Singh | Bowler | – | Pacer |
New Zealand’s Preferred XI for 3rd T20I 2026 vs India:
| S.No | Player | Role | Batting Style | Bowling Style |
| 1. | Devon Conway | Wicketkeeper and Batter | Left-Handed | – |
| 2. | Tim Seifert | Wicketkeeper and Batter | Right-Handed | – |
| 3. | Rachin Ravindra | All-Rounder | Left-Handed | Spinner |
| 4. | Glenn Phillips | All-Rounder | Right-Handed | Spinner |
| 5. | Mark Chapman | Batter | Left-Handed | – |
| 6. | Daryl Mitchell | All-Rounder | Right-Handed | Pacer |
| 7. | Mitchell Santner (Captain) | All-Rounder | Left-Handed | Spinner |
| 8. | James Neesham | All-Rounder | Left-Handed | Pacer |
| 9. | Michael Bracewell | All-Rounder | Left-Handed | Spinner |
| 10. | Matt Henry | Bowler | – | Pacer |
| 11. | Kyle Jamieson | Bowler | – | Pacer |
3rd T20I 2026 Winner Prediction: India vs New Zealand?
Even though both teams hold equal chances of winning the upcoming clash due to a strong batting line-up, India emerges as the favorite given their impressive form in the shortest format.
New Zealand needs to adopt a high level of aggressive approach to avoid facing a T20I series defeat to India.
Once again, the chasing team that exhibits a high level of intent to score runs can certainly win the 3rd T20I match of the series at Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati.