Team India’s Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, and Suryakumar Yadav, among others, will play in the T20I series against New Zealand. The Men in Blue will host the Kiwis for a five-game series beginning Wednesday, January 21.
India recently defeated South Africa. They won the five-game series 3-1 at home. In contrast, New Zealand’s previous assignment was against the West Indies at home. They won the five-match series 3-1.
It will be a significant series for both countries as they prepare for the next T20 World Cup in 2026. India is the defending champions, having won the previous event in 2024. Meanwhile, New Zealand failed to advance past the group rounds.
That being said, let us look at the three players who could lead the scoring charts in the IND versus NZ 2026 T20Is.
3. Daryl Mitchell
New Zealand batsman Daryl Mitchell has looked in good nick on the India tour. He finished as the leading run-scorer of the ODI series and appeared very much at home against the Indian attack.
He scored 352 runs in three games at an average of 176, with a strike rate of 110.34 including two hundreds and half-century. In T20Is, he has 1674 runs from 90 games with eight half-centuries at a strike rate of 138.80. His record in India is not bad at all with 138 runs from six games at an average of 27.60 and strike rate of 133.98.
New Zealand will look to Mitchell to continue his rich vein of form from the ODIs, in the T20 series.
2. Sanju Samson
The 21-year-old will likely open along with Abhishek Sharma once Shubman Gill is out of reckoning for the T20I side. Samson had scored 233 runs from six games in the SMAT 2025-26 at an average of 58.25 and a strike rate of 137.68.
(Latest T20I: 36 – avge 5.1, no fifty, SR81.13) Best in the format: Samson’s best returns in this format have been as an opener. He has made 549 runs in 15 innings at the top, striking them at an average of 39.21 and a strike rate of 181.18 with three hundreds and one half-century.
Overall, he has 1032 runs to his name from 44 T20I innings at an average of 25.80 and strike rate of 148.06 which includes three centuries and as many half-centuries. The wicketkeeper-batsman will now look to come back on top in this series.
1. Abhishek Sharma
Explosive top-order batsman Abhishek Sharma was on a blitz in 2025. He scored 859 runs in 21 matches at an average of 42.95 and a strike rate of 193.46 that includes one hundred and five fifties.
Even in the SMAT 2025-26, Abhishek Sharma was in great form slamming 304 runs from six matches striking at an aveage of 50.66 and a strike rate of 249.18 with the help of a hundred and two half-centuries. He had a great IPL 2025 as well, scoring 439 in 13 innings with the strike rate of 193.39 striking runs and a ton and two fifties.
T20 batting so far after Sharma, You spoke about Abhishek Sharma playing from where he left off in 2025…. It’ll be crucial for him to be in touch before the T20 World Cup 2026.
