India face New Zealand in the 3rd T20I on Tuesday, 27 October 2026, having won the two most recent meetings by four wickets each. The CricStats data lean gives India an 82% edge against 18% for New Zealand. This preview examines head-to-head records, recent form and in-form players to show what the numbers suggest.
Head-to-Head Record in T20Is
India hold a clear all-time advantage in this fixture. Across 31 T20Is since the first meeting in 2007, India have won 19 and New Zealand 11, with one match ending as a tie, draw or no result.
India's win share in the full record is roughly 61%. The recent trend is sharper, as the table below shows.
| Measure | New Zealand | India |
|---|
| Matches played | 31 | 31 |
| Wins | 11 | 19 |
| Tied / drawn / no result | 1 |
| Share of last 10 decisive meetings | 10% | 90% |
The Last Five Meetings
India have won four of the last five T20Is between the sides. New Zealand's only win in that run came on 28 January 2026, by 50 runs.
| Date | Result | Venue |
|---|
| 24 Oct 2026 | India won by 4 wickets (1 ball remaining) | Hagley Oval |
| 22 Oct 2026 | India won by 4 wickets (2 balls remaining) | Hagley Oval |
| 8 Mar 2026 | India won by 96 runs | Sardar Patel Stadium |
| 31 Jan 2026 | India won by 46 runs | Thiruvananthapuram |
| 28 Jan 2026 | New Zealand won by 50 runs | Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium |
The two most recent results were tight. India completed each chase with only one or two balls to spare, which suggests New Zealand have been competitive despite losing both.
Recent Form: Contrasting Trajectories
The form gap is wide across the last 10 completed T20Is against any opponent. New Zealand have won 3 and lost 7, a 30% win rate. India have won 7, lost 2 and had one no result, a 78% win rate across decided matches.
| Team | Last 10 (newest first) | Won | Lost | Win rate |
|---|
| New Zealand | L L L L W W L L W L | 3 | 7 | 30% |
| India | W W NR L W L W W W W | 7 | 2 | 78% |
What the Sequences Show
New Zealand have lost their last four completed T20Is. Before the two defeats to India, they lost to South Africa by 19 runs and 33 runs in March 2026, after winning the opening match of that series by 8 wickets with 22 balls remaining.
India's only defeat in their last five came against West Indies by 24 runs on 14 October. They have since won both matches against New Zealand.
In-Form Players Over the Last 12 Months
Squads for this match are not confirmed, so the names below are players who have been in form, not certain starters. The figures cover all T20Is over the last 12 months.
Bowling Form
India's bowlers have produced higher wicket volumes, though across more matches. Arshdeep Singh has 43 wickets in 30 matches, while Axar Patel and Varun Chakravarthy have 35 each.
| Team | Bowler | Wickets | Matches |
|---|
| New Zealand | Mitchell Santner | 23 | 21 |
| New Zealand | Jacob Duffy | 20 | 16 |
| New Zealand | Matt Henry | 13 | 13 |
| India | Arshdeep Singh | 43 | 30 |
| India | Axar Patel | 35 | 29 |
| India | Varun Chakravarthy | 35 | 22 |
Chakravarthy's 35 wickets in 22 matches is the best wickets-per-match ratio in this group, at about 1.6. Duffy follows at 1.25 from 16 matches.
Top Performers in This Fixture Since 2021
Suryakumar Yadav leads the run charts in this matchup with 526 runs in 14 innings. Glenn Phillips is next for New Zealand with 457 runs in 16 innings, followed by Daryl Mitchell with 383 in 17.
| Category | Player | Team | Total |
|---|
| Runs | Suryakumar Yadav | India | 526 in 14 inns |
| Runs | Glenn Phillips | New Zealand | 457 in 16 inns |
| Runs | Daryl Mitchell | New Zealand | 383 in 17 inns |
| Wickets | Arshdeep Singh | India | 20 |
| Wickets | Mitchell Santner | New Zealand | 17 |
| Wickets | Ish Sodhi | New Zealand | 13 |
Suryakumar averages about 37.6 runs per innings in this fixture since 2021, against roughly 28.6 for Phillips. New Zealand's bowling returns are shared between Santner and Sodhi.
CricStats Data Lean and Prediction
The CricStats model combines head-to-head results and recent form. India have won 90% of the last 10 decisive meetings, and their recent win rate of 78% compares with 30% for New Zealand.
| Indicator | New Zealand | India |
|---|
| Head-to-head, last 10 decisive meetings | 10% | 90% |
| Recent win rate | 30% | 78% |
| CricStats combined lean | 18% | 82% |
On the numbers, India are clear favourites. This is a statistical lean and not a certainty, and the narrow margins of the last two results show that New Zealand have stayed within reach of India.