Match: 1st T20I, West Indies Tour of New Zealand 2025
Date: Wednesday, November 5, 2025
Time: 7:15 PM Local (11:45 AM IST / 6:15 AM GMT)
Venue: Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand
Toss: Yet to be announced
Expected Playing XIs
New Zealand (Likely XI)
Source: Cricket Addictor, Cricket Times
- Devon Conway (wk)
- Rachin Ravindra
- Mark Chapman
- Daryl Mitchell
- Michael Bracewell
- Mitchell Santner (c)
- James Neesham
- Kyle Jamieson
- Jacob Duffy
- Zak Foulkes
- Ish Sodhi
Note: Tim Seifert was ruled out due to injury and replaced by Mitchell Hay. The opening pair of Conway and Ravindra is new, as regular opener Tim Seifert is unavailable for the series.
West Indies (Likely XI)
Source: Cricket Addictor, Cricket Times
- Brandon King
- Alick Athanaze
- Shai Hope (c)
- Rovman Powell
- Sherfane Rutherford
- Roston Chase
- Jason Holder
- Romario Shepherd
- Akeal Hosein
- Khary Pierre
- Jayden Seales
Note: Matthew Forde returns from injury and could feature. Gudakesh Motie has been left out for remedial work on his bowling action.
Pitch and Weather Report
Pitch Conditions
Eden Park is known as a batter’s paradise with very short boundaries. The pitch typically offers good bounce and carry, making it excellent for stroke play. Fast bowlers can get help if they bowl in the right areas, but spinners may struggle on this surface. High scores are common at this venue.
Weather Forecast
Clear skies are expected with mild conditions perfect for cricket. Temperature around 20-24°C with no rain expected. The weather should allow an uninterrupted match.
Source: Cricket Times, Cricket Addictor
Players to Watch
| Role | New Zealand | West Indies |
|---|---|---|
| Batter | Rachin Ravindra | Brandon King |
| Batter | Devon Conway | Rovman Powell |
| All-rounder | Michael Bracewell | Jason Holder |
| Bowler | Kyle Jamieson | Jayden Seales |
| Bowler | Jacob Duffy | Akeal Hosein |
Key Players
Rachin Ravindra (NZ): The left-handed opener has been in great form and will be crucial at the top of the order in his new opening role.
Kyle Jamieson (NZ): Returns from injury and brings extra bounce to New Zealand’s pace attack.
Brandon King (WI): The powerful opener can take advantage of Eden Park’s short boundaries and give West Indies flying starts.
Jason Holder (WI): The experienced all-rounder adds balance to the West Indies lineup and can be deadly with the ball.
Akeal Hosein (WI): The left-arm spinner will need to be smart on a pitch that doesn’t offer much help to slow bowlers.
What to Expect
This match kicks off a five-match T20I series between two teams with different recent form. New Zealand struggled in their recent series against Australia and England, managing just one win. They’ll want to start strong at home before the T20 World Cup 2026.
West Indies arrive with confidence after sweeping Bangladesh 3-0 in their last T20I series. However, Eden Park’s conditions will be completely different from what they faced in Bangladesh. The fast bowlers will need to do the heavy lifting as spinners typically struggle here.
The toss could be important at Eden Park. Teams chasing have historically done well at this venue, though batting first allows teams to post big totals on this flat pitch.
New Zealand will miss several key players including Finn Allen, Lockie Ferguson, Glenn Phillips, and the recently retired Kane Williamson. But they have depth and experience with players like Santner, Mitchell, and Neesham.
For West Indies, the absence of Gudakesh Motie weakens their spin attack, but Matthew Forde’s return strengthens their pace department.
Prediction
With both teams boasting strong batting lineups and Eden Park’s short boundaries, expect a high-scoring contest. New Zealand have the home advantage and know the conditions better. The Kiwis are likely to edge this opening match, but West Indies have the firepower to make it competitive.
Predicted Winner: New Zealand