Formerly known as Westpac Stadium, Sky Stadium, Wellington, will be hosting the first of three New Zealand-India T20Is on Friday. A certain case of “Go figure yourself” as two teams will be playing a bilateral T20I series less than a week after the completion of ICC T20 World Cup 2022.
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Set to host an international match after 20 months, Wellington will only be hosting India for the fourth time in the shortest format. Readers must note that India have won one and lost two out of their three T20Is here. New Zealand, meanwhile, have played each one of the 15 T20Is at this stadium resulting in nine wins and six losses for them over the years.
Sky Stadium Wellington T20 records
Highest T20I run-scorers at the Sky Stadium are Martin Guptill (453), Ross Taylor (206), Tim Seifert (194), Aaron Finch (184) and Kane Williamson (180).
TICK..TICK..BOOM 💥💥
All charged up for the #NZvIND T20I series opener#TeamIndia 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/AsNSTeMqq8
— BCCI (@BCCI) November 17, 2022
Barring Sanju Samson, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer, no other Indian batter part of the current squad has played a T20I at this venue in the past. As for this quartet, each one of them had returned with single-digit scores in their solitary T20I innings here.
Highest wicket-takers in Wellington T20Is are Ish Sodhi (17), Tim Southee (17), Mitchell Santner (11), Ashton Agar (8) and Trent Boult (8). Part of the current squad for the home team, fast bowlers Adam Milne (5) and Lockie Ferguson (4) have also done well in Wellington T20Is.
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As far as Indian bowlers part of the current squad are concerned, Yuzvendra Chahal (2), Pandya (2) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (1) have picked wicket(s) in T20Is at this here.
Highest innings total in Wellington T20Is
| Score | Overs | Team | Opposition | Year |
| 219/6 | 20 | New Zealand | India | 2019 |
| 208/4 | 20 | Australia | New Zealand | 2021 |
| 196/5 | 20 | New Zealand | Pakistan | 2016 |
| 196/5 | 20 | New Zealand | England | 2018 |
| 184/9 | 20 | England | New Zealand | 2018 |
Innings total of 200+ have been registered twice in 30 T20I innings at this stadium. While one Wellington T20I (involving India) had ended in a super over, teams batting first and second have won seven times each in the remaining matches.
While New Zealand have the Top Three highest successful T20I run-chases here to their name, the topmost one had come against West Indies almost nine years ago when they had sealed a 160-run target.
