IND vs NZ 5th T20I: Will Vaibhav Sooryavanshi return?

New Zealand will hope Glenn Phillips continues his fine form. He struck a brilliant century in Auckland and has been their most productive batter in the series. According to CricViz, Phillips has scored 276 runs in four matches.

Only Mark Chapman, with 290 runs against Pakistan in 2023, has scored more for New Zealand in a five-match bilateral T20I series. The all-format record belongs to England wicketkeeper-batter Phil Salt, who scored 331 runs against the West Indies in 2023.

Phillips needs another 56 runs to go past that mark. Michael Bracewell is another player in good touch after hitting a fifty in Auckland. However, including either of them would mean leaving out Dhir. That would reduce India's batting depth and also take away a part-time off-spin option.

The most likely change could be the return of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, with Sanju Samson making way. Samson scored 67 in the series opener in Christchurch but has managed just 14, 18 and 4 in his next three innings. Captain Shreyas Iyer is also looking for runs.

Since scoring his maiden T20I hundred against the West Indies in Lucknow, he has had a lean run, with scores of 40, 1, 16, 22, 42, 7, 5 and 22 in his last eight innings in the format. Iyer will be eager to finish the series with a big score before shifting his focus to the ODIs.

Naman Dhir and Nitish Kumar Reddy have added value with their late-order hitting, but neither has made a significant contribution with the ball. India could make a few changes to their playing XI when they face New Zealand in the fifth and final T20I at Seddon Park on Sunday.

The visitors have already taken an unassailable 3-1 lead in the series, but their 87-run defeat in Auckland may prompt the team management to rethink its combination. India will be keen to end the series with a win before turning their attention to the ODI leg of the tour.

The contest between the two left-arm spinners could also play an important role in the final match. New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner has enjoyed a productive series, while Axar Patel has had a contrasting approach with the ball.

Axar has bowled at an average speed of 97 kph, compared to Santner's 89 kph. Santner has bowled fuller deliveries 55 per cent of the time and shorter ones 45 per cent. Axar, on the other hand, has bowled shorter 72 per cent of the time and fuller deliveries only 28 per cent.

India: Shreyas Iyer (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan (wk), Tilak Varma (vice-captain), Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Dhir, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav.

New Zealand: Finn Allen, Tim Seifert (wk), Bevon Jacobs, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Devon Conway, Mitchell Santner (captain), Michael Bracewell, Nathan Smith, Blair Tickner, Matt Fisher, Kyle Jamieson, Jacob Duffy, Adam Milne, Josh Clarkson.

Although India have already won the series, New Zealand will be keen to finish on a positive note. The hosts will want to take confidence from a victory in the final T20I before the upcoming five-match ODI series against India.

The ODI series will be important for both teams as they look to assess their combinations and prepare for next year's ICC World Cup. New Zealand will also take confidence from the performances of Glenn Phillips and Michael Bracewell in Auckland.

Phillips scored a century, while Bracewell produced a powerful half-century to help the hosts register a big win.