Canberra, Australia – Australia will face India in the first of their five-match T20 international series. The match at Manuka Oval in Canberra, Australia started at 7:15pm (08:15 GMT). India, the defending T20 World Cup champions, are looking to continue their dominance in the format. However, they will have to do so without the services of all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, who has been ruled out of the first three games due to injury.
Australia won the toss and elected to bowl first, a decision made by captain Mitchell Marsh who has won 18 tosses in T20Is and opted to bowl each time. Marsh noted that the wicket looked good and that his team was excited to test themselves against the number one side in the world. Suryakumar Yadav, India's captain, said that he would have preferred to bat first, mentioning that the wicket tends to slow down in the second innings.
Nitish Kumar Reddy's absence is a significant blow to the Indian side. The all-rounder, who was recovering from a left quadriceps injury sustained during the second ODI in Adelaide, has now complained of neck spasms, further impacting his recovery and mobility. The BCCI Medical Team is currently monitoring his progress.
India's playing XI includes Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, and Jasprit Bumrah. Along with Nitish Kumar Reddy, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma, Washington Sundar, and Arshdeep Singh are also missing out on the first T20I. The team features two frontline pacers in Jasprit Bumrah and Harshit Rana, alongside T20 specialist spinner Varun Chakravarthy and chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav.
Australia's playing XI includes Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh (c), Josh Inglis (wk), Tim David, Mitchell Owen, Marcus Stoinis, Josh Philippe, Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, Matthew Kuhnemann, and Josh Hazlewood. The Australian squad features a blend of experience and power-hitting. Glenn Maxwell is expected to be available for the last three games of the series, while Josh Hazlewood will participate in the first two.
This series is crucial for both India and Australia as they prepare for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. India will enter the tournament as hosts and defending champions, having won the 2024 T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and United States. Australia, currently ranked number two in the world, will be looking to ফাইন their squad and strategy for the global event.
The Men in Blue have won 20 of the 32 T20Is that have played against the Aussies so far. Australia have registered 11 victories, while one game ended with no result. The last time these two sides clashed in the 20-over format, India secured a 24-run victory over Australia in a Super Eight clash of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 in Gros Islet, Saint Lucia.
