Visakhapatnam, January 28, 2026 – India and New Zealand face off in the 4th T20I at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam, with India leading the series 3-0. Having already clinched the series, the dominant Men in Blue now aim for a 4-0 lead, while New Zealand seeks to salvage pride and gain momentum ahead of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026.
India has displayed tremendous form throughout the series, with both batting and bowling units firing. In the previous match, New Zealand struggled against India's relentless bowling attack, eventually being restricted to 153/9. Jasprit Bumrah was the standout bowler, claiming 3 wickets for just 17 runs. He received good support from Ravi Bishnoi, Hardik Pandya and Harshit Rana. India chased down the target in a mere 10 overs, with Abhishek Sharma's blistering unbeaten 68 off 20 balls turning the game on its head. Suryakumar Yadav also continued his fine form with another half-century.
All eyes are on Sanju Samson as he looks to find his form. Despite India's strong performances, Samson's recent struggles with the bat have raised concerns. With Ishan Kishan in good form and Tilak Varma set to return for the T20 World Cup, Samson needs to score big to secure his place in the team.
New Zealand will be disappointed with their performance so far but will aim to use the remaining matches to identify areas for improvement ahead of the World Cup. In a bid to shake things up, New Zealand has brought in Lockie Ferguson and James Neesham for the fourth T20I, releasing Kristian Clarke and Tim Robinson from the squad.
The ACA-VDCA Stadium in Visakhapatnam is known for its batting-friendly pitches, particularly under the lights, which could favor the chasing team. In the four T20Is played at this venue, the chasing side has won three times. The toss could, therefore, play a crucial role, with the winning captain likely to opt to bowl first.
India holds a clear advantage over New Zealand in T20Is, with 15 wins out of 28 matches played between the two teams. New Zealand has won 10, and three matches have ended in ties.
The match is scheduled to begin at 7:00 PM IST and will be broadcast live on Star Sports Network channels and streamed on JioHotstar.
