India Opt to Field After Winning Toss in Fourth T20I Against New Zealand in Visakhapatnam

India captain Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and elected to field first in the fourth T20I against New Zealand at Visakhapatnam, citing expected dew conditions as a key factor behind the decision.

Assessing the pitch ahead of the match, Suryakumar said it looked like a good batting surface and noted that dew had played a significant role during practice sessions. With humid conditions forecast, India backed themselves to chase under lights. “It is quite humid today and there will be dew, and we think it will come onto the bat in the second innings,” Suryakumar said at the toss. “We need to repeat the good habits from last year, learn from the last game and entertain the crowd.”

India made one change to their playing XI, with left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh coming in for Ishan Kishan, who picked up a niggle in the previous game.

New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner admitted he too would have preferred to bowl first, agreeing that dew could have a major influence as the match progressed. “Looks like a good wicket. The dew has set in and it might be a bit hard later on,” Santner said. “We know the quality of this Indian team, but it looks like a good wicket and we will want to set up a score.”

The visitors were also forced into a change, with Zak Foulkes replacing Kyle Jamieson in the XI. Santner confirmed that James Neesham was not fit for selection, while Lockie Ferguson remains sidelined.

India XI: Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravi Bishnoi.

New Zealand XI: Tim Seifert (wk), Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner (capt), Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy, Ish Sodhi.