HIGHLIGHTS India vs New Zealand, New Zealand in India 5 T20I Series 2026, 1st T20- Result, Scorecard

We are back for the chase. The umpires are back out in the middle and so are the Indian players, who form a huddle and take their places on the field. It will be the duo of Tim Robinson and Devon Conway to open the innings for New Zealand. Arshdeep Singh has the new ball in hand and he is raring to go. Let's play...

... The Run Chase ...

Right then, 239 is a stiff target on any deck but when you couple that with the kind of bowling lineup India have, the task becomes all the more difficult. The Kiwi batters will have to bat out of their skins if they are to get anywhere close to the target, but in a T20 game, a couple of big knocks can get the job done as well. Stay tuned as the exciting run chase is coming up next.

Not much to write home about the Kiwi bowlers but a couple of them actually bowled well. The breakout star of 2025, Jacob Duffy, was the star with the ball as he picked up a couple of wickets whilst remaining fairly economical and Kristian Clarke also bowled a couple of very tidy overs on his T20I debut. However, the spinners couldn't get into the game much and everyone else was just smashed around the park. Jamieson got a couple of wickets as well but went for 54 runs and then the gamble to bowl Daryl Mitchell right at the death backfired heavily.

After being put into bat on what looked like a slow deck, India came out of the blocks all guns blazing. However, they did lose a couple of wickets inside the first three overs. Abhishek Sharma was the wrecker-in-chief once again and finally, the Indian skipper, Suryakumar Yadav, got some runs under his belt with a quickfire 32 off 22 balls. Sharma went on to smash 8 maximums in his swashbuckling knock of 84 off just 35 balls. Hardik Pandya went after the bowlers from the get-go, playing a handy cameo and then Rinku Singh added the finishing touches with an unbeaten cameo of 44 runs in just 20 balls, 20 off those coming in the final over itself.

How about that for some T20 action? Absolutely exhilarating from start to finish and at the end of the first 20 overs, India have put on a daunting total of 238 on the board. With the kind of batting depth and power hitting the hosts have, they didn't take their foot off the pedal for a second and New Zealand face an uphill task with the bat.

Daryl Mitchell to Rinku Singh, FOUR! Not a clean connection, but enough to find the fence. 21 runs off the 20th over. Daryl digs it in short, over middle. Rinku swivels on the back foot and although the ball gets big on him, he manages to get it past square leg. A couple of fielders give chase but in vain. India end with 238 on the board!

Daryl Mitchell to Rinku Singh, Rinku Singh is crossed with himself on missing out. Mitchell gets this one to sneak inside the tramline, full and slow, Singh swings for the hills, only to connect with thin air.

Daryl Mitchell to Rinku Singh, FOUR! Gets it away! Mitchell bangs it in short, over off and middle. Rinku gets his hands high and rides the bounce to pull it behind square for a four. 17 runs so far with two balls to go.

Daryl Mitchell to Rinku Singh, Wide! Another attempt from Mitchell to keep it away from the batter's arc but this time, Rinku does not move. Wide given

Daryl Mitchell to Rinku Singh, Mitchell switches to around the wicket and pitches it up. It goes on the bounce to the keeper, Devon Conway, who fails to gather it cleanly. The ball deflects away off his knee to short third but they do not run. Not called a wide as Rinku had shuffled across to the off side and then left the ball.

Daryl Mitchell to Rinku Singh, SIX! Rinku Singh stays in the crease this time, but the result is the same. Mitchell serves the off-cutter, fuller and around the off stump. Rinku gets under the ball and clobbers it over deep mid-wicket for another six.

Daryl Mitchell to Rinku Singh, SIX! BANG! Straight as an arrow. Mitchell starts from over the wicket and this is angled across, on a length. Rinku gives the bowler the charge and pumps it over the sight screen for a six.

Who will bowl the final over? Santner has thrown the ball to Daryl Mitchell, who hasn't bowled a single over so far in this contest. Also, New Zealand are penalized for a slow over rate, which means they now have one less boundary rider.

Jacob Duffy to Arshdeep Singh, 4 dots in the 19th over. Just 6 runs off it. Angling away, on a good length, this is sliced to deep point. Since there was no possibilty of a second run, the batters do not run.

Jacob Duffy to Arshdeep Singh, FOUR! Arshdeep Singh finally finds the connection and the fence too. Duffy slams the deck, on middle. Singh opens the stance and picks the slower one. He waits on it before thumping it back over the bowler's head. The mid off fielder gives the chase but the ball wins the race.

Jacob Duffy to Arshdeep Singh, Arshdeep misses again, three dots on the bounce. Off-cutter, into the surface, around off. Singh has a big swing across the line and does not connect.

Jacob Duffy to Arshdeep Singh, Two dots in a row! At 139.8 kph, on a short of a good length, on middle. Arshdeep hops away from the line of the ball and looks to run it down but misses.

Jacob Duffy to Arshdeep Singh, Skidding through, on a hard length. Arshdeep stays leg side and flashes but misses. New Zealand will want to keep Arshdeep on strike for as much as they can.

Jacob Duffy to Rinku Singh, Low full toss, on middle, Rinku wrists it to deep square leg and takes the single. He initally thought about not crossing over but eventually went through.

Jacob Duffy to Rinku Singh, Wide! Pace off from Duffy but this is beyond the tramline on off.

Jacob Duffy to bowl out here, which means Mitchell Santner might bowl the final over himself. The Kiwis will be desperate to get Rinku Singh out in this over.

Kristian Clarke to Arshdeep Singh, Streaky! Clarke bends his back and bangs it in short, over off. Arshdeep swings across for the pull but fails to get on top of it. Gets a top edge that clears the back tracking short fine leg fielder. Two runs taken.

India are 7 down, and there are still 13 legal deliveries left in this innings. With that said, Arshdeep Singh walks out to bat.

Kristian Clarke to Axar Patel, OUT! CAUGHT! The slower ball does the trick for Kristian Clarke. Maiden T20I wicket for Clarke. Kristian rolls his fingers over the ball and pushes it across the left-hander. Axar gets his hands out in front to play the lofted drive. Neither does he get the elevation, nor is it wide enough to beat the fielder. Daryl Mitchell sprints to his right at long off and stays side-on to complete the catch. India are now 7 down for 209.

Kristian Clarke to Rinku Singh, On middle and leg, clipped in front of square on the leg side for a run.

Kristian Clarke to Rinku Singh, FOUR! That raced away like a flash! Fuller and wide on off, Singh reaches out and cracks it square of the wicket on the off side. The fielder in the deep was not far off but he stood no chance.

Kristian Clarke to Rinku Singh, SIX! A poor delivery and it gets the treatment. The 200 is up for India. Clarke digs it in short but the line is down leg with fine leg inside the circle. Rinku swivels and hooks it over the deep fine leg fence for a six.

Kristian Clarke to Axar Patel, Off-pace delivery, on a length, Axar extends his hands to go through the off side. Chops it down, wide of point for a single.

Kyle Jamieson to Axar Patel, 10 runs off the over without taking much risk! On leg, full again, Patel wrists it to deep mid-wicket for one.

Kyle Jamieson to Axar Patel, A bit too straight, at the pads, on the fuller side, Patel flicks it to the right of deep mid-wicket. Glenn Phillips gets across in the deep but a fumble from him turns what could have been a tight second run to an easy one.

Kyle Jamieson to Rinku Singh, On a back of a length, on middle. Rinku shovels it aerially towards deep backward square leg and the ball drops short of the incoming fielder.

Kyle Jamieson to Rinku Singh, Full and straight again, Rinku pushes it back to Jamieson, who makes a low stop on his follow-through.

Kyle Jamieson to Rinku Singh, FOUR! A shot of high class from Rinku! Jamieson errs as he dishes out a half-volley with mid off inside the circle, on off. Singh shows the full face of the bat and firms the drive to the left of the man at mid off for a four.

Kyle Jamieson to Rinku Singh, A bit of hesitation but they make it! Jamieson bowls it at the sticks, full in length. Rinku clips it to the right of deep mid-wicket and calls for two straight away. Axar stutters before returning for the second. Glenn Phillips fires in a throw at the bowling end but Patel gets home.

Jacob Duffy to Rinku Singh, Good effort! Skidding through, going away, Rinku uses the pace and steers it to short third, where the fielder dives to his left and keeps the batters to a single.

Jacob Duffy to Axar Patel, Running across the left-hander, on off, Axar glides it to short third and gets off the mark with a single.

Axar Patel walks out to bat at number 8 for India.

Jacob Duffy to Hardik Pandya, OUT! TAKEN! 'Something's going to happen on this ball,' quipped Ian Smith on air just before the ball was bowled and right on cue, it did. A big wicket for New Zealand. Into the deck, pace off, on middle. Hardik clears the front leg and has a jab across the line. He fails to get the distance on it and holes out to deep mid-wicket, where Mark Chapman times the leap to perfection and takes the catch over his head. 25 (16) for Pandya. India are now 185/6.

Jacob Duffy to Hardik Pandya, Nails the yorker at the base of the off pole. Pandya can only dig it out back towards the bowler. A good stop by Duffy tumbling to his left.

Jacob Duffy to Hardik Pandya, Wide! Banged in short, aimed at the body. Hardik ducks under it. Wide given for height, much to the surprise of Duffy.

Jacob Duffy to Rinku Singh, Banged into the surface, on off. Rinku waits on it and runs it down to deep third. Duffy falls over on his follow-through but gets back up quickly.

Jacob Duffy to Hardik Pandya, Angled in, on a good length, on middle. Pandya whips it in front of square for a single.

Right then, 5 overs left. Jacob Duffy (2-0-16-1) is back in the attack.

Mitchell Santner to Hardik Pandya, Flighted, fuller and angled into the legs. Pandya hits it with a straight bat and drives it down to long on for another single. 14 off the over.

Mitchell Santner to Rinku Singh, Good length on the pads, nudged away past square leg for one more.

Mitchell Santner to Hardik Pandya, Dragged length outside off, Pandya steps out and slaps the ball away square through the off side for a single.

Mitchell Santner to Hardik Pandya, SIX! Pandya didn't even get to the pitch of the ball but still manages to get so much power on the shot. Flighted ball, Pandya steps down the track and ends up amost hitting it flat and right back over the bowler's head for a biggie.

Mitchell Santner to Hardik Pandya, FOUR! Flatter one, bowled into the pitch and wide outside off. Pandya rocks back and thrashes it away over extra cover for a boundary.

Mitchell Santner to Rinku Singh, The arm-ball, sliding it across the left-hander. Rinku rocks back and jams it down behind point for a single.

Mitchell Santner brings himself back into the attack. 2-0-23-1 so far for the Kiwi skipper.

Kyle Jamieson to Rinku Singh, A length ball on the pads, gentle-pace again, tucked away in front of square leg by Singh for a single.

Kyle Jamieson to Rinku Singh, Back of a length, around middle and leg, a bit slower too. Rinku sets up to pull but it keeps a touch low and hits him in the mid-riff region.

Kyle Jamieson to Rinku Singh, WIDE.Slower delivery again, full and angled down the leg side. Wide called but Jamieson reckons that the ball went inside the new guideline past the leg stump.

Rinku Singh joins Hardik Pandya out in the middle.

Kyle Jamieson to Shivam Dube, OUT! CAUGHT AND BOWLED! The simplest of return catches and Kyle Jamieson gets another wicket. Slower delivery, just back of a length on middle and leg. Shivam Dube looks to turn it leg side but the ball sticks in the pitch and catches the leading edge. The ball lobs straight back up and Jamieson pouches it with ease. A short stay at the crease for Dube as he departs for 9 (4) and India are now 5 down for 166.

Kyle Jamieson to Shivam Dube, SIX! Crunched! Banged in short and over leg stump, Shivam Dube picks the bones out of this one and pulls it flat over deep backward square leg for a maximum.

Kyle Jamieson to Hardik Pandya, Full-pitched delivery outside off, Pandya jams it hard into the ground and it goes through the hands of Jamieson in the followthrough. Pandya picks up a single down to long off.

Kyle Jamieson to Hardik Pandya, WIDE. Jamieson looks to attack the pads but spills it down the leg side for a wide.

Kyle Jamieson to Hardik Pandya, FOUR! Too hot to handle, that shot. Back of a length and around off, Hardik Pandya stays upright and smashes it like a tennis forehand and nails it to the right of long off for a boundary. No chance for the fielder who was barely a few feet away.

A good comeback over from Kristian Clarke. Kyle Jamieson (2-0-30-1) comes back on.

Kristian Clarke to Hardik Pandya, Another slower ball, bowled into the pitch and over middle. Pandya plays a short-arm pull and gets it through mid-wicket for a single. Just 5 off it, tidy over from Kristian Clarke.

Kristian Clarke to Hardik Pandya, Hard length on the pads, Hardik tucks it off the hips and down to short fine leg. He looks for the single but Dube isn't interested.

Kristian Clarke to Shivam Dube, Slower bumper, ovr middle and leg, Dube pulls it through mid-wicket for a single.

Kristian Clarke to Shivam Dube, Oh, for a second, Santner might have thought he was in business. Slower one, pitched up fuller around off. Dube leans on and drives it uppishly but gets it wide enough to the left of a catching extra cover and picks up a couple of runs in the deep.

Kristian Clarke to Hardik Pandya, Fuller in length, on the stumps, Pandya drills it right back. Clarke gets low in the follow-through and deflects it away through mid on, conceding a single. The 150 is now up for India.

Kristian Clarke to Hardik Pandya, Back of a length and angled into the batter, Pandya nudges it away into the leg side.

One left-hander replaces another. Shivam Dube walks in. Kristian Clarke (2-0-21-0) returns to the attack. A slight hold-up in play as Hardik Pandya wants to change his bat.

Ish Sodhi to Abhishek Sharma, OUT! CAUGHT! Ish Sodhi gets his man eventually but the damage has already been done. Sodhi tosses the ball, but lands it outside the line of off stump. Abhishek Sharma goes down on one knee and looks for the slog sweep again but has to fetch the ball. Abhishek ends up dragging it high over wide mid on where Kyle Jamieson settles under it and pouches the ball safely. End of a fiery knock from Sharma as he departs for 84 off just 35 balls.

Ish Sodhi to Hardik Pandya, Tossed up outside off, this one grips a bit. Pandya drives it to deep cover and turns the strike over.

Ish Sodhi to Abhishek Sharma, Short ball around off, pulled away flat to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Ish Sodhi to Abhishek Sharma, WIDE. Quicker delivery, short and wide outside off, a bit too wide for the umpire's liking.

Ish Sodhi to Abhishek Sharma, SIX! In the slot and out of the park! Abhishek Sharma brings up 5000 T20 runs, faster than anyone. Tossed up on middle and leg, turning in, Abhishek sits down and launches the slog sweep towards cow corner and the ball comfortably sails over the ropes.

Ish Sodhi to Abhishek Sharma, SIX! A valiant effort from Daryl Mitchell but it goes in vain. Tossed up wide outside off, Sharma dances down the pitch and swats it flat and wide of long off. Mitchell times the leap to perfection but just can't palm the ball in cleanly and it lands on the ropes.

Ish Sodhi to Abhishek Sharma, FOUR! Flatter one, slightly short as well. Abhishek steps out and flat-bats it back over the bowler's head for a boundary. India have no intention of taking their foot off the accelerator.

Mitchell Santner to Hardik Pandya, Hit hard again but for a dot. Tossed up around off, Pandya steps out and drills it back towards the bowler and Santner gets a big hand on it as well.

Mitchell Santner to Hardik Pandya, FOUR! Wow, that nearly cleaned up the bowler and the umpire. Tossed up around middle and leg, Hardik Pandya skips down the track and pummels it straight back. Santner flies to his right but thankfully for him, the ball misses the fingers and the umpire does well to get out of the way as well. It rockets to the fence behind.

Hardik Pandya comes out to bat.

Mitchell Santner to Suryakumar Yadav, OUT! CAUGHT! This one does carry and Tim Robinson makes no mistake. Cleverly bowled by Mitchell Santner as he flights the ball up and drifts it in with the arm. Suryakumar Yadav looks to back away but fails to create enough room and lofts it over mid on. Robinson runs in from the deep and dives forward to take a fine catch. SKY departs for a well-made 32 (22) and India are now 126/3.

Mitchell Santner to Abhishek Sharma, Nothing seems to be going New Zealand's way. Fired in, wide outside off, Abhishek miscues the lofted drive but mistimes it well enough. The ball lands short of the incoming long off fielder and the batters pick up a single.

Mitchell Santner to Abhishek Sharma, WIDE. Quicker one, darted well outside off. Left alone for a wide.

Mitchell Santner to Abhishek Sharma, SIX! Up, up and away! Tossed up around middle and leg, Abhishek Sharma clears the front leg and heaves it high over wide long on for a biggie.

Mitchell Santner to Suryakumar Yadav, Oh, nearly a breakthrough right after the break. Nicely flighted, wide outside off. Yadav comes down the pitch and lifts it over extra cover. The long off fielder runs in but the ball falls well short. Single taken.

DRINKS BREAK! Top-tier action in the first 10 overs and the re-laid Nagpur pitch seems to be playing really well in terms of batting. The outfield is lightning quick and there's barely any turn on offer. India are flying and have plenty of hitting to come. New Zealand need to find a way of picking up wickets at regular intervals, which is the only thing that might slow down the hosts. Let's see how the next 10 overs turn out.

Ish Sodhi to Suryakumar Yadav, Slower and fuller, on off, eased to long off for a single by Suryakumar. 11 runs off the over. At the halfway mark, India are 117/2.

Ish Sodhi to Suryakumar Yadav, FOUR! In the gap! Flatter and shorter, on middle, Suryakumar takes a couple of steps down the track and gets on top of it. He punches it in the gap between deep mid-wicket and long on for four more.

Ish Sodhi to Suryakumar Yadav, FOUR! 9,000 T20 runs for Suryakumar Yadav! Sodhi serves the googly, on a nagging length, on middle. Yadav walks inside the line and picks it up and over short fine leg for a four.

Ish Sodhi to Abhishek Sharma, Wrong'un, full and on middle, Abhishek drives it to long on for a single.

Ish Sodhi to Abhishek Sharma, Slows it down and drags the length back, on off. Abhishek was about to swing across the line but adjusted to the length and ended up bunting it back towards the bowler.

Ish Sodhi to Suryakumar Yadav, Hangs it up there, on middle, SKY taps it to long on for one.

Ish Sodhi is back on, but from the other end.

Mitchell Santner to Suryakumar Yadav, Oh, SKY was gone had he missed it. Speared in by Santner, full and on middle, Suryakumar Yadav gives the bowler the charge and swings through the line. He is lucky to make some contact or else he would have been stumped by a fair bit. Gets an inside edge that goes to short fine leg for one.

Mitchell Santner to Abhishek Sharma, Short and on off, Abhishek cuts it hard but the backward point fielder dives to his left and saves a certain boundary. Just a single.

Mitchell Santner to Abhishek Sharma, SIX! Out of here! Darted in by Santner, on middle and leg, on a length. Sharma clears the front leg and clubs it over deep mid-wicket for a biggie.

Mitchell Santner to Suryakumar Yadav, Very full, on off, SKY works it wide of cover and turns the strike over.

Mitchell Santner to Suryakumar Yadav, Floated up, on off, SKY eases it to cover.

Mitchell Santner to Abhishek Sharma, Pushed through first up, on middle, Abhishek flicks it through mid-wicket for one.

Glenn Phillips to Abhishek Sharma, 20 runs off the over! On a length, on off, Abhishek pushes it through covers for a single.

Glenn Phillips to Abhishek Sharma, FIVE WIDES! It is going from bad to worse for Glenn Phillips. Sprayed down leg, on the shorter side, Sharma walks inside the line for the tickle but misses. The keeper, Devon Conway misses as well and it races away for a four.

Glenn Phillips to Suryakumar Yadav, Full and around off, sliced wide of point for a single.

Glenn Phillips to Abhishek Sharma, FIFTY FOR ABHISHEK! Short and flat, on off, Sharma taps it off the back foot to long on and picks up a single. Gets to his half-century in 22 balls, the fastest for an Indian in a T20I against New Zealand. He has started 2026 just the way he would have liked but he will be hungry for more.

Glenn Phillips to Abhishek Sharma, FOUR! Oopsie, another error by Kristian Clarke. The debutant is having a torrid time in the field.  Fuller and on off, Abhishek shimmies down the track and carves it towards deep cover. Clarke gets down on a knee but the ball bounces and spins just in front of him and he is beaten to his right.

Glenn Phillips to Abhishek Sharma, FOUR MORE! To the other side of Kristian Clarke and this time, he had no chance. Fractionally short and equally short, on off, Sharma hammers it behind point and it races away to the fence.

Glenn Phillips to Abhishek Sharma, FOUR! Oh, dear! Kristian Clarke is beaten by the spin. Phillips begins from around the wicket, on the shorter side, on off. Abhishek gives the bowler the charge and hits it towards deep cover. He does not quite get hold of it. Clarke moves to his left in the deep but fails to read the spin and ends up overruning the ball.

Double change? Yes, indeed. However, it isn't Mitchell Santner who comes on to bowl but rather Glenn Phillips.

Ish Sodhi to Abhishek Sharma, Tighter line and fuller as well, Abhishek strokes it to long off and keeps the strike with a single. 8 runs off the first over of spin tonight.

Ish Sodhi to Abhishek Sharma, FOUR! First four for Abhishek! Sodhi drops it a bit too short and offers width, Sharma stays put in the crease and slaps it to the right of the man at deep point for a boundary.

Ish Sodhi to Suryakumar Yadav, A wrong'un from Sodhi, on a nagging length, turning down the leg stump. Suryakumar backs away to get it through the off side but the ball stays low. The ball squirts off an inside edge towards short fine leg for one.

Ish Sodhi to Suryakumar Yadav, Very full from Sodhi, on middle, Surya digs it out to cover.

Ish Sodhi to Abhishek Sharma, Out comes the googly, shorter and on off, Abhishek checks his shot and chips it uppishly but well away from the bowler to his right. It rolls to long off and they cross.

Ish Sodhi to Suryakumar Yadav, Flighted delivery, full and on middle, knocked down to long on for a single.

End of a highly entertaining Powerplay. Mitchell Santner turns to spin right after the fielding restrictions are lifted. Here is Ish Sodhi to bowl his leg-breaks.

Kristian Clarke to Abhishek Sharma, Did that brush something? Clarke sticks to the off-pace option and bowls it on a short of a length, around leg. Sharma swings to get it away but misses. It dribbles behind towards the keeper. Not given as a wide and Abhishek has a quizzical look on his face. At the end of the Powerplay, India are 69/2.

Kristian Clarke to Suryakumar Yadav, Clarke takes pace off and this is fuller, on off. SKY gets his bat down and jams it square on the leg side for a single.

Kristian Clarke to Suryakumar Yadav, SIX! A Suryakumar Yadav classic! A cross-seam delivery, not high enough to trouble the batter. It sits up to be hit, around the waist. Suryakumar crouches and whips it behind square leg for a six.

Kristian Clarke to Abhishek Sharma, Clarke spots Sharma backing away and he follows him with a short ball. Abhishek gets his hands high and dabs it behind point for a single.

Kristian Clarke to Abhishek Sharma, SIX! All the way! 4th six for Abhishek in his 30 runs. On middle, on a back of a length, Abhishek steps out and opens up the front hip to carve it over cover for a biggie.

Kristian Clarke to Abhishek Sharma, Off-cutter, slammed into the surface, on off. Sharma swings across for the pull but does not rise as much as he expected and it sneaks under the blade.

Kristian Clarke to continue. Went for 7 runs in his first over.

Kyle Jamieson to Abhishek Sharma, A low full toss now, on middle and leg, Sharma pushes it out into the off side and scampers through for a single. 16 off the over.

Kyle Jamieson to Abhishek Sharma, SIX! Abhishek loves dealing in maximums and up comes the 50 for India as well. Dug in a bit short over middle and leg, Sharma leans back and clubs the half-pull over deep mid-wicket for a biggie.

Kyle Jamieson to Suryakumar Yadav, Pace-off again from Kyle, pitched fuller and outside off. SKY stays leg side of the ball and hits it through the point region for a single.

Kyle Jamieson to Suryakumar Yadav, Slower ball, on a good length and outside off. Yadav goes back in the crease and taps it down to the short third fielder. Abhishek Sharma looks for the single but is sent back.

Kyle Jamieson to Abhishek Sharma, Back of a length and around leg, cramping the batter for room. Sharma tucks it off the hips and towards mid-wicket for a single.

Kyle Jamieson to Abhishek Sharma, WIDE! Dug in short and outside off, this one sails over the batter's head and goes through to the keeper.

Kyle Jamieson to Abhishek Sharma, SIX! Pumped down the ground with ease. Slower delivery from Jamieson, on a length and right in the slot around off. Abhishek picks it early and smashes it back over the bowler's head for a maximum.

Kristian Clarke to Suryakumar Yadav, Banged in on a hard length, straighter this time. SKY walks inside the line and pushes it across to mid-wicket.

Kristian Clarke to Suryakumar Yadav, FOUR! Lovely shot. On a good length again, outside off, Suryakumar Yadav leans into the shot and strokes it away through the gap between cover and mid off for a boundary.

Kristian Clarke to Suryakumar Yadav, Oh, that kept so low. Good length at the stumps, Yadav looks to come down the pitch and punch the ball but is completely taken aback and just about manages to jam it out.

Kristian Clarke to Suryakumar Yadav, A beauty from Clarke. Good-length delivery just outside off, Yadav walks down the track but the ball nips away late and beats the outside edge.

Kristian Clarke to Abhishek Sharma, Slower delivery, relatively full and on the pads. Abhishek nudges it through square leg and turns the strike over.

Kristian Clarke to Abhishek Sharma, Clarke begins on the fuller side and bowls it wide of the off stump. Sharma throws his hands at it and slashes it over covers for a couple of runs.

Kristian Clarke comes on as the first change on T20I debut. The right-arm quick made his ODI debut in Vadodara earlier on the tour. Clarke was initially not picked in the T20I squad but was added following a minor left-calf strain to Michael Bracewell.

Jacob Duffy to Suryakumar Yadav, FOUR! Oh, that will make Suryakumar Yadav feel so much better. Back of a length and slightly wide of the off stump, SKY rocks back and punches it firmly through the gap at covers and picks up a boundary on the first ball.

The Indian skipper makes his way out to the middle. Here's Suryakumar Yadav in his 100th T20I. He went without a fifty in T20Is in 2025.

Jacob Duffy to Ishan Kishan, OUT! CAUGHT! Another soft dismissal and India are just looking to smash every ball in the Powerplay. Jacob Duffy takes a bit of pace off this delivery and bowls it back of a length outside off. Ishan Kishan steps forward to go over the off side but has to reach for it. Kishan hits it in the air and straight to the extra cover fielder. Mark Chapman takes an easy catch and India are 27/2 inside the first 3 overs.

Jacob Duffy to Ishan Kishan, Hard length angled across off. Kishan stays back and just guides it down to short third.

Jacob Duffy to Ishan Kishan, FOUR! Kishan looks in pristine form at the moment. Back of a length, angled across off, Kishan leans across and plays a short-arm pull, nailing it over mid-wicket for a boundary.

Jacob Duffy to Ishan Kishan, Nicely bowled. Slightly fuller on off, darting away. Kishan stays put and pokes at it but the ball whistles past the outside edge.

Jacob Duffy to Abhishek Sharma, Duffy bowls it slightly slower on leg and gets it to nip away. Sharma nudges it in front of mid-wicket and hustles through for the single.

Kyle Jamieson to Ishan Kishan, FOUR! What a way to end an eventful over, 14 runs and a wicket off it. Pitched up around middle, right in the slot, Ishan Kishan hits through the line and effortlessly lofts it back over the bowler's head for a boundary.

Ishan Kishan is in at number 3. His last T20I was in 2023. Do we have a problem with the ball here? The ring is out. The ball passes the test and we are ready to resume.

Kyle Jamieson to Sanju Samson, OUT! CAUGHT! Kyle Jamieson has the last laugh and boy, he is pumped. This is pitched fuller and around middle, angling in. It is there to be put away as well but Sanju Samson just clips it using his wrists and straight to Rachin Ravindra at mid-wicket. Rachin snaffles it to his left and that is a soft dismissal for Samson. He has to walk back for 10 (7) and India are 18/1.

Kyle Jamieson to Sanju Samson, FOUR! Smashed! Dug in short again by Jamieson but it's just not short enough. Sanju Samson rocks back and pulls it flat and wide of mid-wicket for another boundary.

Kyle Jamieson to Sanju Samson, Hard length in the channel, Sanju presses back and plays it with an angled bat, straight to short third.

Kyle Jamieson to Sanju Samson, Much better from Kyle. On a good length, targeting middle stump. Samson tucks it away neatly through the big gap at mid-wicket and picks up a couple of runs.

Kyle Jamieson to Sanju Samson, FOUR! What a pick up from Samson! Jamieson bowls it shorter and angles it in. Sanju stays a bit crouched and hoicks the pull behind square leg for a boundary.

The tall Kyle Jamieson will steam in from the other end. He is starting with a slip in place, which is a bit wide.

Jacob Duffy to Abhishek Sharma, SIX! Well, that's one way to get going. Just a touch fuller and straighter from Duffy. Sharma walks inside the line and lifts it dead straight and sends the ball sailing over the ropes for the first biggie of the game. 8 off the first over.

Jacob Duffy to Abhishek Sharma, Another swing and a miss. Hard length around off, darts away sharply. Sharma gets forward and swings but is beaten by a mile.

Jacob Duffy to Abhishek Sharma, That's a brilliant bumper from Duffy. Banged in short over middle and leg, at 135 kph and Duffy gets it to shoot off the deck. Abhishek looks to back away but adjusts well and leaves it alone.

Jacob Duffy to Abhishek Sharma, Very full, swings back into the legs, Sharma gets taken aback a bit and jams it across to mid-wicket.

Jacob Duffy to Abhishek Sharma, WIDE. Abhishek Sharma makes his intentions clear right away. Good-length delivery, pushed wide outside off. Sharma charges down the track and misses it completely. Given as a wide.

Jacob Duffy to Sanju Samson, India are underway! Fuller in length again, on middle, this one slides back in. Samson misses the flick and the ball thuds into the pads. It then rolls away behind square leg and they get a leg bye.

Jacob Duffy to Sanju Samson, Lovely shape to begin with from Duffy. This is pitched up on a fullish length on middle, this one angles in and then moves away. Sanju Samson stays watchful and plays it out with soft hands to cover.

Done with the national anthems, and we are all set to get going. Nagpur is hosting a T20I for the first time since 2022, and it is nearly a full house already. Mitchell Santner leads his men out onto the park. The decibel levels go up as the two Indian openers, Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson, make their way out to the centre. Jacob Duffy will start the attack for the tourists. Samson will face the first ball from Duffy. A slip in place. Here we go!

It is time for the national anthems. The match officials lead the way before the two sets of players follow them. It will be New Zealand's national anthem first, followed by that of India.

New Zealand (Playing XI) - Tim Robinson, Devon Conway (WK), Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner (C), Kristian Clarke (ON T20I DEBUT), Kyle Jamieson, Ish Sodhi, and Jacob Duffy.

India (Playing XI) - Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, and Jasprit Bumrah.

The Indian skipper, Suryakumar Yadav, says that they are happy to bat first but wanted to bowl first as well because there is dew expected later in the game. Reckons that they need to be prepared for the World Cup, so it's good to bat first as well. Mentions that the atmosphere in the dressing room is upbeat and happy and they want to enjoy the game. Informs that Shreyas Iyer, Harshit Rana, Ravi Bishnoi and Kuldeep Yadav miss out.

Mitchell Santner, the captain of New Zealand, says it looks like a pretty good wicket and is keen to see if it does anything early with the ball. He expects it to be a high-scoring game. Adds that what the guys did last week in the ODI series was special. Mentions that everyone knows how difficult it is to beat India at home. Says that the players have all been playing cricket in one form or another, and believes there is no better preparation ahead of a World Cup than taking on India at home. Informs that they are going with 3 seamers, with Kristian Clarke making his debut and Jacob Duffy and Kyle Jamieson being the other two pacers. He mentions that Michael Bracewell is carrying a slight calf niggle and says they will have to wait and see regarding his availability.

TOSS - The two captains are out in the middle. Suryakumar Yadav flicks the coin and Mitchell Santner calls correctly. New Zealand will BOWL first.

PITCH REPORT - Deep Dasgupta shares that the VCA Stadium has hosted more T20Is than any other venue in the country. Informs that the centre wicket will be used for this game, with the square boundaries measuring 66 metres on either side and 76 metres down the ground. He further mentions that the entire square was relaid in 2024, and this is the first T20I at the venue since the relaying. Simon Doull joins him, and he adds that around 3-4 mm of grass has been left on the pitch. Observes a lot of cracks in and around it, and the surface feels soft underneath. He expects the pitch to play quite low and slow, and does not anticipate a high-scoring game. Doull also mentions that he doesn’t expect too much turn for the spinners. Deep opines that the cracks are quite wide and expects the ball to do a bit when it lands on them. He adds that there hasn’t been much dew in the last couple of evenings, but still expects the captain winning the toss to bowl first.

Nagpur has historically been a place where the battle between bat and ball is a fascinating one. Also, a decade ago, New Zealand pulled off one of the most stunning wins against India in the T20 World Cup on this very ground. One of the architects of that win, Ish Sodhi, is still in the Kiwis lineup and he will be eager to do some damage tonight as well. It will be interesting to see the team combination for both sides, so stay tuned as the toss and team sheets aren't far away.

New Zealand arrive in Nagpur buoyed by the confidence of their historic ODI series win on Indian soil. Led by Mitchell Santner, the Black Caps have proven they can dismantle the Indian juggernaut even in familiar conditions. Their T20I squad features dangerous multi-format stars like Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, and Glenn Phillips, who are well-versed in subcontinental tracks. However, their T20 squad does feature plenty of players who haven't had a taste of subcontinental conditions and will be tested right ahead of the big tournament.

India’s squad sees the return of several heavyweights and domestic stars aimed at bolstering their aggressive T20 philosophy. Ishan Kishan returns to the fold after a long hiatus and is confirmed to bat at number three, filling the void left by the injured Tilak Varma. The top order will be spearheaded by the explosive Abhishek Sharma, while the bowling unit welcomes back the world’s top-ranked T20 bowler, Varun Chakaravarthy, alongside pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah. With vice-captain Axar Patel and Hardik Pandya providing all-round depth, the Men in Blue look formidable as they aim to maintain their streak of eight consecutive T20I series wins since their 2024 World Cup triumph.

Hello and a warm welcome to one and all. The five-match T20I series between India and New Zealand kicks off at the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) Stadium in Nagpur. For the hosts, this series is a vital quest for redemption after a surprising 2-1 defeat in the recently concluded ODI leg. With the 2026 T20 World Cup just weeks away, this series serves as the final dress rehearsal for both nations to lock in their best combinations. The match also marks a massive personal milestone for Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav, who is set to earn his 100th T20I cap in this high-stakes encounter.

... MATCH DAY ...

History is written by the victor. So truly said. In 2024, the Blackcaps stunned the cricketing world by sweeping India 3-0 in a Test series, outplaying the hosts in their own backyard. Fast forward to January 2026, and they struck again, landing another seismic blow by clinching an ODI series win on Indian soil for the very first time in 37 years. Yet, the appetite for rewriting records clearly remains unsatisfied. This is New Zealand’s fifth T20I tour of India, and the hosts have not lost a home T20I series since 2012, against the Kiwis. A five-match series awaits, beginning at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur before the contest journeys across the country, eventually reaching its finale in Trivandrum, a.k.a Thiruvananthapuram.  Suryakumar Yadav returns to lead the side, but the spotlight firmly rests on his form. By his lofty standards, 2025 was a year to forget. His highest score was 47, he failed to register a single fifty, and finished the calendar year with just 218 runs at an average of 13.63. Those numbers underline a rare slump for one of the world’s most feared T20 batters. With the World Cup looming large, SKY will be desperate to rediscover his rhythm and authority at the top. There are encouraging comeback stories too. Shreyas Iyer is back in the T20I setup after a two-year absence, while Ishan Kishan earns his recall on the back of a strong Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaign. In the bowling department, Ravi Bishnoi returns to bolster an already potent spin attack. Alongside Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy and Axar Patel, India boasts a quartet capable of choking sides through the middle overs with guile and variation. The pace unit looks equally menacing. Jasprit Bumrah leads the charge, supported by Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana, who comes in buoyed by his batting heroics in the ODI series. Add Hardik Pandya to the mix, expected to deliver in clutch moments with both bat and ball, and India appear well stocked in the all-round department. His recent form has been reassuring, and the hosts will hope that momentum continues. Batting, however, remains India’s biggest strength. However, in Tilak Varma’s absence, at least for the first three matches due to an injury, his composed batting will be missed, given how instrumental he has been since his debut. Either Iyer or Kishan will be summoned for that role at number 4. Abhishek Sharma has made run-scoring look effortless, piling up five fifties and a century in 2025 while averaging just under 43 at a staggering strike rate of 193.47. He is likely to open the innings alongside Sanju Samson, who looks increasingly comfortable at the top. With Iyer, Shivam Dube and Rinku Singh to follow, India’s batting unit shapes up as a formidable force.  Buoyed by their recent ODI triumph, New Zealand land with a fresh swagger and a point to prove in the shortest format too. Mitchell Santner resumes duty as captain, while the Blackcaps’ bowling arsenal looks fully reloaded. The returns of Jacob Duffy and Matt Henry add bite, completing a fearsome pace quartet alongside Zakary Foulkes and Kyle Jamieson, both of whom enjoyed a standout run in the ODI series. Spin, too, gets a familiar edge, with Ish Sodhi back in tandem with Santner and Bracewell, making this a well-rounded and menacing New Zealand attack. With the bat, the spotlight will be firmly on Rachin Ravindra, who has endured a lean patch, managing just one fifty-plus score in his last ten innings. At the top, Tim Robinson has caught the eye and is set to partner Devon Conway, who enjoyed a productive home series against West Indies. The middle order, meanwhile, boasts proven firepower in young Mark Chapman alongside Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips, names that need little introduction after their stellar showing in the ODI series.  Since the 2024 T20 World Cup, New Zealand have played six bilateral series and won five of them, with the only setback coming against Australia, while also adding a Tri-Series triumph in Zimbabwe to their tally. India, meanwhile, have been equally dominant in this format. Including their Asia Cup title win, they have not lost a single T20I series, either at home or away, since the last T20 World Cup. However, Nagpur does not bring back fond memories for India. Rewind to 2016, when New Zealand decimated the hosts, bowling them out for just 79 while defending a modest total of 126. That remains the only time the two sides have met in Nagpur, a memory the visitors will surely draw inspiration from. Let’s see who will come out on top this time around in this final dress rehearsal before the mega tournament takes center stage.