IND vs AUS, 1st T20I: Canberra will host the opening game of the five-match T20I series between India and Australia starting Wednesday, October 29.
After suffering a 2-1 series loss in the One-Day Internationals, the Men in Blue approach the T20I leg of the tour with a point to prove. Suryakumar Yadav's men will hope to carry on their good work in the shortest format and continue building towards the men's ICC T20 World Cup 2026.
Team India flexed its skill and depth during an exceptional Asia Cup 2025 campaign in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in September, defeating arch-rivals Pakistan thrice on their way to winning the competition. The conditions in Australia will present a stark contrast to the dry and turning surfaces in the UAE.
The pitch at the Manuka Oval is expected to offer the seamers extra bounce and some lateral movement amidst cold weather in the early part of the summer.
The temperatures are likely to be between 9 and 14 degrees Celsius, which would make it extra challenging for the tourists to quickly adjust to the conditions after hot and humid Sydney, where they played the third One-Day International.
Return of ace speedster Jasprit Bumrah after missing the ODI leg of the trip would boost the tourists, but the absence of all-rounder Hardik Pandya means extra pressure on Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh. Nitish Kumar Reddy has been ruled out for the first three T20Is, according to Cricbuzz.
Australia, on the other hand, will be missing their spearhead Pat Cummins due to injury and won't have the recently retired Mitchell Starc at their disposal. It would put the onus on in-form pacer Josh Hazlewood and wrist-spinner Adam Zampa to keep the aggressive Indian batting unit under control.
India vs Australia 1st T20I: Date, Time and Venue
The opening encounter of the five-match T20I series between hosts Australia and India will be played on Wednesday, October 29, at the Manuka Oval in Canberra. The match will start at 1:45 p.m. IST.
IND vs AUS Live Telecast Channel : Where To Watch India National Cricket Team vs Australian Men's Cricket Team
The 1st India vs Australia T20I will be telecast live on the Star Sports Network channels in India.
India vs Australia 1st T20I: IND vs AUS Live Telecast Free
The 1st T20I between India and Australia will be available for free live viewing on DD Sports through DD Free Dish.
After the ODIs, the stage is set for the #AUSvIND T20I battle! 🇮🇳vs🇦🇺
🏏 5 T20Is ⏰ Oct 29 to Nov 8
Don't miss all the LIVE action on DD Sports 📺 (DD Free Dish)#TeamIndia #AUSvIND #MenInBlue pic.twitter.com/7ljLjbs7KTOctober 27, 2025AdvertisementIndia vs Australia 1st T20I Live Streaming
The 1st India and Australia T20I will be available for live streaming on the JioHotstar app and website.
India vs Australia 1st T20I: Playing XIs
India: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (WK), Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah.
Australia: Mitchell Marsh (C), Travis Head, Josh Inglis (WK), Tim David, Mitchell Owen, Marcus Stoinis, Josh Philippe, Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Josh Hazlewood.
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