Storm clouds gathered over Wellington's Sky Stadium ahead of the night match and the heavy rain set in before the toss was due to be made at 7 pm local time. Neither side had yet named its match lineup.
With no sign of the rain abating, the umpires called off play two hours later. The play was eventually called off just after 20:51 (Local Time).
Following the three-match T20I series, New Zealand and India will be squaring off against each other for a three-match ODI series, starting from November 25. The 2nd T20I between New Zealand and India will be held at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui on Sunday while the 3rd T20I will take place on Tuesday at Mclean Park, Napier.
Rain also threatens the second match of the three-match series on Sunday. Thunderstorms are forecast for Mount Maunganui.
“It's always good to come up against India, they're a great team to play but obviously today just wasn't meant to be," New Zealand captain Kane Williamson said.
Team India were hoping to put the disappointment of their departure from the T20 World Cup behind them against New Zealand in the first of three T20 Internationals on Friday.
Like India, New Zealand too were eliminated in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup after bagging the top spot in their group.
New Zealand's transition into a new era as their selectors opted against picking two of their stalwarts in Martin Guptill and Trent Boult, the latter because he no longer has a central contract.
There have been opportunities for people like Sanju Samson, Shreyas Iyer, and Umran Malik, among others in Indian team. Shubman Gill is another young person who has been selected for the team.
India squad for New Zealand T20Is: Hardik Pandya (C), Rishabh Pant (vc & wk), Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan, Deepak Hooda, Surya Kumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Sanju Samson (wk), W Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Harshal Patel, Mohd. Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Umran Malik.
New Zealand squad for T20Is: Kane Williamson (c), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Daryl Mitchell, Adam Milne, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee and Blair Tickner.
(With inputs from agencies)
