India vs New Zealand Live Score, 3rd T20I: India opt to bowl; Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh benched

India vs New Zealand Live Score, 3rd T20I: India opted to bowl first after winning the toss in the third T20I against New Zealand at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati, on Sunday. With dew expected to settle in later during the evening, the decision reflected India’s tactical approach as they aim to capitalize on favourable chasing conditions and secure an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series.

The Men in Blue, led by Suryakumar Yadav, have been in commanding form so far. They opened the series with a convincing 48-run victory before delivering a historic performance in the second T20I, where they chased down a massive target to win by seven wickets. Those results have given India a strong edge as the series also doubles as crucial preparation for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, set to begin next month in India and Sri Lanka.

At the toss, Suryakumar confirmed that India made two changes to their playing XI. Left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh and mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy were rested, while Jasprit Bumrah returned to strengthen the pace attack and Ravi Bishnoi came in to bolster the spin department. Explaining the decision, Suryakumar said the pitch looked good for batting and stressed the importance of playing fearlessly while staying grounded.

New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner, after losing the toss, said his side would focus on applying lessons from the previous game and respond quickly. Despite posting a competitive total in the second T20I, New Zealand were unable to contain India’s aggressive batting. To freshen up their lineup, the visitors brought in Kyle Jamieson in place of Zak Foulkes, hoping the added pace and bounce would trouble India’s batters.

With India fielding a balanced attack and New Zealand under pressure to keep the series alive, the third T20I sets up as a crucial contest. A win for India would seal the series, while New Zealand need a strong performance to stage a comeback and regain momentum.

Squads:

India: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wicket-keeper), Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (vice-captain), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Ravi Bishnoi

New Zealand: Mitchell Santner (captain), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway (wicket-keeper), Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Bevon Jacobs, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Robinson, Ish Sodhi.

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