IND vs NZ: Why did Kuldeep Yadav & Harshit Rana miss 5th T20I Thiruvananthapuram?

Kuldeep Yadav and Harshit Rana didn’t feature in the fifth and final IND vs NZ T20I in Thiruvananthapuram.

India and New Zealand face off in the fifth and final T20I of the series at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday, January 31. India have already sealed the five-match series 3-1, having won the first three matches before suffering a setback in the fourth T20I at Visakhapatnam.

India began the series in dominant fashion with a 48-run win after posting 238 in the opener, followed by a record-breaking chase of 208 in the second game, powered by blazing half-centuries from Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav. The third T20I saw New Zealand restricted to 153, which India chased comfortably in just 10 overs, thanks to aggressive knocks from Abhishek Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav.

Experimentation backfired in the fourth T20I as India fielded a shortened batting lineup and were bowled out for 165 while chasing 216, losing by 50 runs. With the T20 World Cup 2026 approaching, the final match offers both teams a vital opportunity to fine-tune combinations, assess form, and build momentum heading into the global tournament.

IND vs NZ: Why did Kuldeep Yadav and Harshit Rana miss 5th T20I?

India have decided to play their best XI ahead of the T20 World Cup. Despite being a dead-rubber, this will be their final chance to fine-tune their game, and hence some massive changes have been made.

The return of Ishan Kishan at the top bolsters India’s batting lineup, which was left exposed by the Kiwi bowlers in the fourth match. Kishan has been amongst the runs, and missed the previous contest due to a niggle

Moreover, India’s gun mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy returns after skipping the previous two matches. The 34-year-old will have a huge role to play for India in the marquee event, and he will have one final chance to try out and experiment some new variations.

Vice-captain Axar Patel returns, after being struck on his finger off his own bowling in the first T20I. His all-rounded skills are vital, as it gives the Indian skipper an extra bowling option, along with batting depth.

“We had a good hit last night and the curator said it’s going to play true for the next 40 overs, no grass and it is going to be a good one. We have three changes – Axar comes back, Ishan comes back and one more. Whatever it is, Trivandrum, Sanju Samson is playing tonight (laughs).

He’s (Tilak) just taking his time to play a few practice games. He’s been a good player for us. When he comes back, it’s going to be a solid side. But yeah, we’re really waiting for him. We’ve almost covered all the departments, batting, bowling and fielding. But yeah, every time you do something, you try and learn something out of it and then take it to the next game”, said captain Suryakumar Yadav.

Varun Chakravarthy’s inclusion meant Kuldeep Yadav had to be left out. The left-arm wrist spinner is India’s second-choice option in the role, and given the intense competition in the current squad, only one specialist spinner can be accommodated in the playing XI, making Kuldeep likely to sit out.

Similarly, Harshit Rana faced the axe with Axar Patel’s return to the side. Despite changes, India already boast a strong pace attack in Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah, alongside additional seam options in Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube.

Overall, this appears to be India’s best combination and is expected to take the field even at the T20 World Cup 2026. The only possible change could be the inclusion of Tilak Varma at the expense of one of the wicketkeepers.

IND vs NZ: India playing XI for fifth T20I

Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson(w), Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah

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