India vs New Zealand: Hardik Pandya opts to field first after winning toss

India captain Hardik Pandya opted to field first after winning the toss against New Zealand in India vs New Zealand first T20I in Ranchi on Sunday. The T20 format skipper justified his call saying the dew factor will help the team batting second.

"We will have a bowl first. Looks like a good track. I can see dew right now and hence we want to bowl first," said Pandya at the toss.

Pandya further revealed that the team opted for Kuldeep Yadav and Washington Sundar as spinners for the game ahead of Yuzvendra Chahal while Prithvi Shaw was expectedly rested as well.

"Playing the ODIs before T20Is makes it easy to pass on. For a lot of them it is an experience just being in the team. Yuzi, Mukesh, Jitesh and Prithvi miss out," said Pandya.

New Zealand's captain Mitchell Santner said he would have liked to bowl first as well as defending a total on the Ranchi wicket would be a challenge.

"We were challenged in the ODIs. There is no experience like playing India at home. Would be a challenge for some of the new guys. Looks pretty good. The dew is setting in. Would have been good to bowl first. Putting runs on the board and then defending would be challenging. Tom Latham and Nicholls are gone. Chapman and Sodhi are in," Santner said.

India vs New Zealand Playing XIs

New Zealand: Finn Allen, Devon Conway(w), Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner(c), Michael Bracewell, Jacob Duffy, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson, Blair Tickner
India: Ishan Kishan(w), Shubman Gill, Rahul Tripathi, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya(c), Deepak Hooda, Washington Sundar, Shivam Mavi, Kuldeep Yadav, Umran Malik, Arshdeep Singh.