IND vs NZ 2026: ‘Don’t worry Thiruvananthapuram, Sanju Samson is playing tonight’ - Suryakumar Yadav acknowledges crowd at toss

Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav acknowledged the Thiruvananthapuram crowd by confirming that local favourite Sanju Samson would feature in the fifth and final T20I against New Zealand on January 31 at the Greenfield International Cricket Stadium. India won the toss and opted to bat first, making three changes to their playing XI for the final game.

During the toss, presenter Simon Doull asked Suryakumar about the changes in the Indian side. The Indian skipper initially mentioned the inclusions of

Ishan Kishan and Axar Patel but momentarily forgot to name the third change. With a smile, he then assured the crowd that Sanju Samson was playing in the match, prompting loud cheers from the stands. The third change, which Suryakumar overlooked at the time, was the inclusion of Varun Chakravarthy in place of Ravi Bishnoi.

“We are going to bat first. We were here last night, there was a lot of dew and we want to test ourselves. The groundsman says it is going to be true for 40 overs. Axar comes back, Ishan comes back and one more. Don't worry Thiruvananthapuram, Sanju Samson is playing tonight. We are waiting for him (Tilak). We have almost covered all the departments, every game we learn something and take it forward,” said Suryakumar at the toss.

🚨 Toss Update 🚨#TeamIndia elect to bat in the Final #INDvNZ T20I

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— BCCI (@BCCI) January 31, 2026

India had already sealed the five-match T20I series by winning the first three encounters, despite suffering a heavy defeat in the fourth game. The Men in Blue will be keen to bounce back from that loss, aim for a 4-1 series victory, and head into the T20 World Cup 2026 on a positive note.

At the toss, New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner revealed that his side had made four changes to the playing XI. Among the notable inclusions were pace bowlers Kyle Jamieson and Lockie Ferguson, both returning to the side. Santner expressed his excitement at having the duo back, adding that their pace and bounce are expected to pose a serious challenge to the Indian batters in the series finale.

“It might not be too dewy tonight. We have got four changes - Allen in for Conway, Neesham is in for Chapman, KJ and Lockie are in. It is always nice to have them back. And it is an opportunity to see what they have got,” said Santner.