India v New Zealand 1st T20I live and preview

The two T20 matches being played between India and New Zealand will switch the attention to the shortest format as the teams look to finalize their plans for the ICC World Twenty20 to be played in Sri Lanka.

Having lost the Test series, New Zealand will be looking to make amends in the T20s.

Ranked seventh on the ICC rankings, New Zealand have been a struggling side in recent months.

They were defeated in the test series and also ended up on the losing side in their last T20 encounter - the two matches against West Indies in Florida.

Ross Taylor, the captain, will be hoping that his team is able to pull up their socks and put in a concerted effort to set themselves on track ahead of the major tournament.

Jacob Oram will be pivotal to the team’s success as the tall all-rounder had a successful stint in the inaugural Sri Lankan Premier League.

Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum add further weight to the side though they would need to reflect it on the field.

For India, the series is an opportunity to discover their best combination heading into the World T20.

Captained by MS Dhoni, the team has always looked a dangerous unit in the shortest format, at least on paper.

They were disappointing in the last World T20 but the current series would provide them the perfect platform to step ahead in the right direction.

There will be plenty of attention centering around Yuvraj Singh who makes a comeback having recovered after being diagnosed with cancer.

The swashbuckling all-rounder is a valuable addition to the experienced lineup that also sees Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh back in action in the Twenty20s.

The batting order is also formidable with Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli cementing their place at the top three spots.

The match will be played in Visakhapatnam, starting at 8pm local time.