Nagpur weather forecast, IND vs NZ 1st T20: Check pitch report for Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium

India’s final preparations for the T20 World Cup 2026 start on Wednesday (21 January) at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur, when they take on New Zealand in the first T20 of the five-match series . The comforts of a home venue should work in Suryakumar Yadav and Co’s favour, but by winning the recently-concluded ODI series 2-1, the Black Caps have shown that they can win anywhere in the world.

India is also set for a big change to their team. Captain SKY has confirmed that Ishan Kishan, who replaced Shubman Gill in the squad, would be batting at No 3 in the absence of Tilak Varma, who is out of the first three matches due to an abdominal surgery.

All eyes will also be on Suryakumar’s form. The India T20 captain scored just 218 runs in 21 T20s in 2025 at an average of less than 14, and hopes that the new year brings a big change in the fortunes. Meanwhile, Sanju Samson is expected to be the opener with Abhishek Sharma. Having replaced Gill at the top, Samson would need to continue the good form.

Also Read | IND vs NZ: Kishan’s batting position, Surya’s form and other key talking points for Men in Blue in T20I series

India would also have Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah back for the series, and I know that’s mouthwatering, so without further ado, here’s the weather forecast for Nagpur and the pitch report for the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium.

Nagpur weather forecast

The good news is that there are no chances of rain. The weather is expected to be a bit cloudy through, and the temperature in the evening is expected to be around 18-14 degrees Celsius according to AccuWeather. The match is scheduled to start at 7 PM in the evening, and the team winning the toss may opt to field first to negate any chances of dew.

Nagpur stadium pitch report

The Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium has red soil pitches, which usually favour bounce and pace at the start of games, and teams would opt for pacers in the powerplay. But overall, it’s not a very high-scoring pitch, and spinners can come into play later. The first innings total at Nagpur in T20s is largely between 160 and 180.