New Zealand vs India, 1st T20I: India Chase Down 226 in Christchurch

Updated: 31 October 2026 · Author: Cricket Match Scorecard Editorial

India opened their tour of New Zealand by chasing 226 at Hagley Oval on 22 October 2026, winning by four wickets with two balls left. A total of 225/4 is usually enough to win a T20 International, so the interesting question is how India turned it around.

New Zealand's innings: a score built on Phillips

India chose to bowl and never really stopped New Zealand scoring. Finn Allen made 45 from 24 and Tim Seifert 24 from 17 at the top of the order. Glenn Phillips then took over, finishing 82 not out from 40 balls with eight fours and three sixes. Bevon Jacobs added a quick 31 from 16, all of his boundaries coming as sixes.

India's bowlers shared the load but none controlled the game. Mayank Yadav and Nitish Kumar Reddy each went for 40 from four overs, and Axar Patel, who took a wicket, cost 51. Not one Indian bowler finished with an economy rate under 10.

India's chase: three distinct phases

The fall of wickets tells the story best. Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma gave India a flying start, with Abhishek out for 29 from 12 balls at 93. Samson then fell for 67 from 33 at 115, and Tilak Varma and Ishan Kishan followed within seven runs, a wobble that left India 122/4 just after the halfway mark.

That was the moment New Zealand could have taken control. Instead, Shreyas Iyer steadied things with 42 from 28 and Axar Patel made a useful 24 from 14, and India were still in touch at 167/5.

Naman Dhir then decided the game. His unbeaten 42 came from just 15 balls, including five fours and two sixes. He added 43 with Iyer before finishing the job with Nitish Kumar Reddy.

The hidden factor: 17 extras

New Zealand conceded 17 extras in India's innings, 16 of them wides. Every wide also costs an extra delivery, which matters a great deal in a high-scoring chase. India won with only two balls to spare, so those wides were a real factor. Matt Henry had a difficult day, conceding 57 from 3.4 overs without a wicket.

What it means

Samson was named player of the match. For India, the win was evidence of depth in the order, with five batters making at least 24. For New Zealand, the concern was that 225 had not been enough. As the series continued, it became clear that this was not a one-off: read the second T20I report for what came next.