The 2023 T20I series between New Zealand and Bangladesh nears ending through the final match at Mount Maunganui on December 31. Bangladesh hopes to win their first T20I series in New Zealand after a historic win in the first match on December 27th and a rain-affected draw in the second which happened on December 29th. Tigers are leading the series 1-0, while the host Kiwis are eager to level the series.  Let’s take a look at the preview of the final T20I, which promises to be an enthralling battle full of intensity and anticipation. Preview of Bangladesh vs New Zealand Third T20 Match in 2023 Overview of the 2023 BAN vs NZ 1st T20I  Bangladesh secured their first T20I victory on New Zealand soil by defeating a difficult target of 135 in Napier.  Bangladesh won the toss and elected to bowl against New Zealand in the first Twenty20 international at McLean Park. Shoriful Islam's outstanding bowling performance, which included three crucial wickets, was instrumental in restricting New Zealand to their lowest T20I total at home — 134 for 9.  Litton Das played an unbeaten innings of 42 of 36 balls. Besides, Mahedi Hasan played a key role in Bangladesh's successful chase, scoring a quick 19 runs off 16 balls leading the side to victory. Shoriful Islam was outstanding, taking two early crucial wickets, eventually ending with 3 wickets and was critical in limiting New Zealand to their lowest T20I total at home.  The bowlers, including Mahedi Hasan and Mustafizur Rahman with 2 wickets each, contributed significantly to Bangladesh's impressive performance.  Read more: Shoriful, Litton Lead Bangladesh to Historic T20I Win in New Zealand Overview of the 2023 BAN vs NZ 2nd T20I  On Friday, December 29, 2023, during the second Twenty20 international match between Bangladesh and New Zealand at Bay Oval, Bangladesh won the toss and decided to bowl.  New Zealand reached 72 for two after batting first. Tanzim Hasan Sakib took a crucial wicket to end Tim Seifert's quick 43. For 2, Shoriful Islam removed Finn Allen.  Due to persistent rain at Bay Oval, the match was called off after 11 overs. The match's cancellation leaves the series undecided, with the final match on Sunday deciding the winner.  Read more: Persistent rain forces abandonment of 2nd T20I Between NZ and BAN Bangladesh vs New Zealand Head to Head Records in T20I Matches Won by New Zealand Won by Bangladesh Tied N/R 19 14 4 00 01 According to the stats, New Zealand has the upper hand with 14 wins in 19 T20I matches gainsta Bangladesh. Read more: Preview of BAN Vs NZ T20I Series 2023: Fixtures, Schedule, Key Players, Team Probable Bangladesh Squad  Najmul Hossain Shanto (Captain),  Litton Kumer Das,   Rony Talukdar, Tawhid Hridoy,     Hossain, Afif Hossain Dhrubo, Soumya Sarkar, Mehidy Hasan Miraz (Vice Captain),  Mahedi Hasan, Mustafizur Rahman,  Shoriful Islam,  Hasan Mahmud,  Rishad Hossain,    Tanvir Islam, and Tanzim Hasan Sakib. Probable New Zealand Squad  Mitchell Santner (Captain), Finn Allen,   Mark Chapman, Rachin Ravindra, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham,  Glenn Phillips,  Ben Sears,    Tim Seifert,   Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, and Jacob Duffy. Read more: Overview Of BAN VS NZ ODI Series 2023: Post World Cup Matches Final Verdict Both teams are keen to win the trophy, so the 2023 BAN vs NZ T20 series finale on December 31 is sure to be a competitive match.  Though tigers won the first T20I in the ongoing series, Kiwis are dominating according to stats. Bangladesh may have the advantage due to their recent success in strange environments, but New Zealand will be competitive due to home advantage and the possibility of important players returning to form.  Bangladesh has a realistic chance to make history by winning the series in New Zealand, but the final result may depend on the weather. Read more: Bangladesh Cricket in 2023: Men’s ODI Series- Performance Analysis

The 3-match ODI series between Bangladesh and New Zealand ended on December 23. Though New Zealand clinched the series, the Tigers won their first-ever ODI against the Kiwis on their home soil. From December 27, a 3-match T20I series between these countries will take place at McLean Park in Napier. Before the series begins, let's have a closer look at the fixture, key players, and teams of the 2023 BAN vs NZ T20 series. Fixtures of Bangladesh vs New Zealand T20I Series  Table: Schedule and Venues Match    Date                        Time (Bangladesh Time) Venue  1st T20I    Wednesday, Dec 27, 2023 12:10 pm McLean Park, Napier 2nd T20I Friday, Dec 29, 2023  12:10 pm Mount Maunganui 3rd T20I Sunday, Dec 31, 2023 06:10 pm Mount Maunganui BAN vs NZ T20I Head-to-Head Records Matches          Won by New Zealand Won by Bangladesh Tied      N/R 17 14 3 00 00 The 3 T20I matches that Bangladesh won against New Zealand were held in 2021, where they won the series 3-2 in home ground. Read more: Bangladesh creates history with maiden ODI win in New Zealand Preview of BAN vs NZ T20I Series 2023  Since T20 is the shortest format in the international arena, cricket fans are expected to get more explosive batting from the batters. Team Tigers are looking forward to showing their potential, proving that they are a formidable opponent, not just in their home ground, but also on other grounds as well.   Bangladesh will feel a bit more confident, as they won their last two T20I series against England and Afghanistan in Bangladesh, securing a 3-0  and a 2-0 whitewash, which was a rare occasion for a team, who are not consistent in the shortest format.  This series will be a challenging one for Bangladesh, as they are missing some of their key players in the series, whereas the Kiwis announced a strong squad to build momentum for the next T20 World Cup, which will be hosted by West Indies and the USA in 2024.  Missing Players For Bangladesh Bangladesh does not have some of the team's key players. Shakib Al Hasan, an iconic player, is likely to miss out due to an injury. Speedstar Taskin Ahmed is missing as well, because of his recurring shoulder injury that flared up during the World Cup.  Another senior player on this side, Mahmudullah Riyad, opted to miss out due to personal reasons. Nasum Ahmed, who was a regular name in the T20I side, also missed out due to poor performance in the 2023 ICC World Cup. Read more: From duck to diamond: Soumya reborn with brilliant 169 vs New Zealand Missing Players For New Zealand Kane Williamson and Kyle Jamieson, withdrew their names from New Zealand’s T20I squad against Bangladesh, which will start on December 27. Devon Conway is rested for the T20I due to management workload.   Experience bowler Trent Boult made himself unavailable for the selection. Matt Henry, Michael Bracewell, and Lockie Ferguson are also missing out due to injuries.  Key Players in Bangladesh Squad BCB has already announced a 15-man squad for the upcoming T20I Series against New Zealand, which will begin on December 27.   There are new faces in the squad, also some debutants, while there are others who feature in the side regularly. Now it will be interesting to see how young players made an impact in the Bangladesh Team.  These are some of the key players on the current side, to watch out for. Najmul Hossain Shanto Najmul Hossain Shanto, who was recently appointed as the Bangladesh captain for the whole New Zealand white-ball tour, will be one of the players who can create an impact, which will be beneficial for the team.  His prolific batting at the top order made him an integral part of the national side, as Bangladesh is looking to build a strong team ahead of the next T20 World Cup in 2024.    His recent consistent form against difficult opponents like England and Afghanistan gave the side a platform to chase and defend targets which was lacking, for a while in the T20 arena. As he might grow from the captaincy role he got, he will be more focused on continuing his superb form, despite the challenging conditions in New Zealand. Rishad Hossain One of the debutants in the current line-up, a leg spinner, will look forward to the upcoming T20Is, as he looks to make a valuable contribution, not only with the bowl but also with the bat in hand.  Recently he made his presence felt when he made his debut in the second ODI, where he hit a six from the first ball he faced, which showed a good sign, for the Tigers, who are also looking for someone, to play the pinch-hitting role, in the lower order. Still early times, but he can be a good asset for the side if he can contribute to the team. Tanzim Hasan Sakib A youngster, who played in the U-19 World Cup in 2020, is another prospect for the current national side. He made his international debut a couple of months back and is now proving to be a bright light in the future of Bangladesh cricket.  He bagged 3 wickets in his last ODI, which was the crucial aspect for Bangladesh to knock over New Zealand, and get the victory.  As far as his bowling, he is quite a handful with the bat as well. He can hit a long ball, which sometimes proves vital when putting up a huge total on board. Read more: New Zealand cruise home to win ODI series, Soumya’s century in vain Players to watch in New Zealand Squad  New Zealand has put a strong team for the upcoming series against Bangladesh, featuring regular players, alongside some new faces. Finn Allen Finn Allen, a fine hitter of the cricket ball, is a promising young batsman from New Zealand who could be the one to look out from the New Zealand dugout. His ability to score runs will make him a valuable addition to the current T20I side.  He has some stellar batting prowess, against tough opponents, during the T20 World Cup in 2022, which was exactly what the Kiwis wanted, as they were searching for an explosive opener who could give them a quick start, right from the power play. Glenn Phillips  Glenn Phillips can not only bat, but he can also slog on out for a long distance. He can be quite useful, and more than just a handy right-arm spinner.   Alongside his bat and ball prowess, he is a great fielder. He is the perfect player for T20, where everyone has to be on their toes for the whole innings. As long as he is there on the cricket field, the experience will be truly spectacular, for the cricket fans, on and off the field. Mitchell Santner Last but not certainly not least, the recently appointed captain for the Kiwi side, Mitchell Santner. He is one of the few experienced players in the current New Zealand side.   As he led the team in the past, the management trusted him to deliver the goods as the regular captain Kane Williamson was out due to workload management.  Apart from the captaincy, he is a very important player for the side.  He can provide crucial breakthroughs with the ball in hand. With his skillful left-arm spin bowling, it would be difficult to play around.  His Batting is also an aspect to keep an eye on. He can play the finisher role in the lower end of the innings, which proved to be more than sufficient if you want to chase down a huge target or put up a huge total. Read more: Chennai Super Kings secure Mustafizur Rahman for IPL 2024 Probable Bangladesh Squad Najmul Hossain Shanto (Captain),  Litton Kumer Das,   Rony Talukdar, Tawhid Hridoy,     Hossain, Afif Hossain Dhrubo, Soumya Sarkar, Mehidy Hasan Miraz (Vice Captain),  Mahedi Hasan, Mustafizur Rahman,  Shoriful Islam,  Hasan Mahmud,  Rishad Hossain,    Tanvir Islam, and Tanzim Hasan Sakib. Probable New Zealand Squad Mitchell Santner (Captain), Finn Allen,   Mark Chapman, Rachin Ravindra, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham,  Glenn Phillips,  Ben Sears,    Tim Seifert,   Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, and Jacob Duffy. Final Words So far, we have discussed the fixtures, schedule, key players, and probable squad of the 2023 Bangladesh vs New Zealand T20I series.  While both teams are similar in terms of experience, Bangladesh will get the upper hand due to the momentum they got after defeating New Zealand in the last ODI they played.  However, New Zealand is way ahead, winning 14 out of 17 matches when facing Bangladesh. Kiwis will look to bounce back from their recent ODI defeat and would like to start the upcoming T20I series with a win and play their cricket in good spirits.  Read more: Overview Of BAN VS NZ ODI Series 2023: Post World Cup Matches