Dhaka, May 2, 2026 — New Zealand captain Nick Kelly won the toss and elected to field first against Bangladesh in the third T20I at Chattogram (or Dhaka venue as reported), with the Black Caps making key changes to their playing XI.
Bangladesh, who are currently batting, reached 50/3 in 6.4 overs early in their innings. New Zealand have deployed their bowling attack straight away after choosing to chase.
Team Changes
New Zealand handed a T20I debut to left-arm spinner Jayden Lennox, who impressed during the recent ODI series. He replaced Matt Fisher. Fast bowler Ben Sears also came into the side in place of Ben Lister.
Bangladesh brought in experienced all-rounder Mohammad Saifuddin in place of Tanzim Hasan, who was ruled out with a "back issue," as confirmed by captain Litton Das at the toss.
Playing XIs
Bangladesh:
1. Tanzid Hasan, 2. Saif Hassan, 3. Litton Das (c & wk?), 4. Towhid Hridoy, 5. Parvez Hossain, 6. Shamim Hossain, 7. Mohammad Saifuddin, 8. Mahedi Hasan, 9. Rishad Hossain, 10. Ripon Mondol, 11. Shoriful Islam.
New Zealand:
1. Katene Clarke, 2. Tim Robinson, 3. Dane Cleaver, 4. Nick Kelly (c), 5. Bevon Jacobs, 6. Dean Foxcroft, 7. Josh Clarkson, 8. Nathan Smith, 9. Ish Sodhi, 10. Jayden Lennox, 11. Ben Sears.
Context of the Series
The series has been affected by weather earlier, with the previous match abandoned without a ball being bowled. Bangladesh won the first game of the series by six wickets. A live forecast suggested Bangladesh could post around 163 if they batted first, but New Zealand’s decision to bowl has put early pressure on the hosts.
Left-arm spinner Lennox is expected to play a crucial role on what are often spin-friendly tracks in Bangladesh, while Saifuddin adds experience and death-bowling prowess to the home side.
The match is part of an ongoing white-ball tour, with both teams looking to gain momentum ahead of future assignments. Stay tuned for live updates as the game progresses.
Article compiled from ESPNcricinfo live coverage.
