The Indian cricket team chased down a record total to beat New Zealand by four wickets in the opening match of NZ vs IND T20 2026 series at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Thursday.
Put in to bat first after Indian T20 captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss, New Zealand raced to 225/4 – their highest T20I total against India on home soil – thanks to an unbeaten 82 by Glenn Phillips.
Sanju Samson’s fiery fifty (67 off 33 balls) set up India’s successful chase with Iyer, Axar Patel and Naman Dhir contributing to counter a mid-innings wobble.
This was India’s highest-ever successful run chase in T20I cricket, surpassing the previous record from 2009, when they chased down Sri Lanka’s 206/7 in Mohali.
Finn Allen and Tim Seifert set the tone with a brisk opening stand, putting on 49 for the opening wicket before Mayank Yadav had Seifert caught behind.
Allen pressed on, striking five fours and two sixes in his 45 off 24, until Axar Patel had him holing out to Tilak Varma at long-off in the eighth over.
Daryl Mitchell chipped in with 28 off 19 but it was Glenn Phillips who drove the innings. The right-hander brought up a fifty off 27 balls and stayed unbeaten on 82 from 40, laced with eight fours and three sixes.
Bevon Jacobs provided some late fireworks, blasting 31 off 16 with three sixes before Arshdeep Singh, who had earlier dismissed Mitchell, ran him out with a smart piece of fielding to end a devastating stand.
Mitchell Santner’s side plundered 103 from the last seven overs with Phillips finishing the innings with a flourish.
Mayank Yadav, Arshdeep, playing his 100th T20I, and Axar took a wicket apiece, but India’s attack was expensive. None of the five bowlers used by Iyer conceded less than 10 an over.
Previously, the Black Caps’ highest T20I score at home against India was 219/6, which came in Wellington in February 2019.
World No. 2 India’s response to the record total was brutal as Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma took on the Kiwi bowlers from the start. Both openers rode their luck but played some outlandish shots to get the visitors off to a flyer.
Abhishek Sharma departed in the final over of the powerplay after scoring 29 off 12, just after Samson had raced to his fifty in just 23 deliveries.
Samson departed in the ninth over after edging a delivery from Kiwi captain Mitchell Santner onto his own stumps in the ninth over.
India lost two quick wickets almost immediately after, with Bracewell removing Tilak Varma and Santner getting rid of the dangerous Ishan Kishan, leaving India at 122/4.
Captain Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel combined for a 45-run stand to bring India back on course before the latter departed for 24.
Iyer, however, carried on with Naman Dhir at the other end, and it seemed like the two would see the job through comfortably.
However, Adam Milne had the Indian skipper caught in the deep off the first ball of the penultimate over to keep the home fans hoping.
After Iyer’s departure, Naman Dhir (42 not out off 15) ensured there were no late mishaps and got India home with a couple of balls in hand.
The second New Zealand vs India T20 match will be held at the same venue on Saturday.
NZ vs IND T20 2026, 1st match, brief scores: New Zealand 225/4 in 20 overs (Glenn Phillips 82 not out, Finn Allen 45; Mayank Yadav 1/40) lost to India 230/6 in 19.4 overs (Sanju Samson 67, Shreyas Iyer 42, Naman Dhir 42 not out; Michael Bracewell 2/37) by four wickets.
read more: https://www.olympics.com/en/news/new-zealand-vs-india-t20-cricket-2026-match-1-report
