The Aryavarth Express Chennai (Tamil Nadu): Canada won the toss and opted to bat first against New Zealand in Match 31 of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Tuesday.
Canada made a single change to their playing XI, with Shivam Sharma replacing the injured Kaleem Sana. Captain Dilpreet Bajwa explained the decision:
“We’ll bat first. The surface looks good to start on, and there might be some assistance for spinners later in the game. It’s better to put runs on the board and defend a target. One change—Kaleem Sana is out due to injury, and Shivam Sharma comes in.”
New Zealand’s full-time captain Mitchell Santner was rested due to illness, with Daryl Mitchell taking over as stand-in skipper. Cole McConchie, who replaced Michael Bracewell in the squad, was also included in the playing XI. Additionally, pacer Lockie Ferguson returned home for the birth of his first child, and Kyle Jamieson came in as his replacement.
Speaking at the toss, Daryl Mitchell said:
“Santner isn’t feeling well, but hopefully he’ll be ready soon. It’s exciting news about Lockie’s first baby. Kyle Jamieson replaces him, and Cole McConchie steps in for Santner—so the team balance remains similar. Playing in Chennai brings its challenges, but many of us have experience here, and we’ll adapt as the game unfolds.”
Playing XI
Canada: Yuvraj Samra, Dilpreet Bajwa (c), Navneet Dhaliwal, Harsh Thaker, Nicholas Kirton, Shreyas Movva (w), Saad Bin Zafar, Shivam Sharma, Dilon Heyliger, Jaskaran Singh, Ansh Patel
New Zealand: Tim Seifert (w), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell (c), Cole McConchie, James Neesham, Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy
