- Samson, Iyer and Dhir pull off record chase against NZ in T20I series opener Entertainment galore in Christchurch, with Glenn Phillips’ 40-ball 82 going in vain for the hosts The three who matter: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah all smiles after dismissing Pat Cummins The three who matter: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah all smiles after dismissing Pat Cummins, India vs Australia, World Cup, Chennai, October 8, 2023 Then New Zealand fought back, with spinners Michael Bracewell and Mitchell Santner taking two wickets each in a period of play where India got in a tactical muddle and lost 4 for 29 in 22 balls.
- But India’s batting depth prevailed in the end, with Shreyas Iyer , Axar Patel and Naman Dhir playing crucial innings to haul their side over the line with two balls remaining.
- Playing his first T20 game in New Zealand since March 2025 – he had played 77 in other parts of the world since then – Finn Allen lifted the Hagley Oval crowd with a powerful 45 off 24 balls.
Samson, Iyer and Dhir pull off record chase against NZ in T20I series opener Entertainment galore in Christchurch, with Glenn Phillips’ 40-ball 82 going in vain for the hosts The three who matter: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah all smiles after dismissing Pat Cummins The three who matter: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah all smiles after dismissing Pat Cummins, India vs Australia, World Cup, Chennai, October 8, 2023 Then New Zealand fought back, with spinners Michael Bracewell and Mitchell Santner taking two wickets each in a period of play where India got in a tactical muddle and lost 4 for 29 in 22 balls.
But India’s batting depth prevailed in the end, with Shreyas Iyer , Axar Patel and Naman Dhir playing crucial innings to haul their side over the line with two balls remaining. Playing his first T20 game in New Zealand since March 2025 – he had played 77 in other parts of the world since then – Finn Allen lifted the Hagley Oval crowd with a powerful 45 off 24 balls. His hitting in the V, off seam and spin, was particularly awe-inspiring, but this strength also brought about his downfall when he tried to go down the ground off an Axar delivery that was a touch too short for it.
By then, though, he had taken New Zealand to 80 for 2 inside the eighth over. For all of the boundary-hitting from Allen – and, less frequently, from Tim Seifert and Daryl Mitchell – India’s bowlers never really let the scoring get out of control. This changed when Bevon Jacobs joined Glenn Phillips in a partnership of 73, off just 33 balls, for the fourth wicket.
Jacobs, powered by long levers much like Allen’s, hit his first ball for a straight six and scored 31 off 16 before being run out off a needless attempt at a quick single in the 18th over. But Phillips, who played a typically energetic and resourceful innings, using his feet decisively against Axar’s spin and pulling anything marginally short, ensured that wicket didn’t hurt New Zealand. He finished unbeaten on 82 off just 40 balls, having hit eight fours and three sixes.
New Zealand’s 225 for 4 was their highest T20I total against India, and their joint sixth-highest overall. Finn Allen launches the ball down the ground, New Zealand vs India, 1st T20I, Christchurch, October 22, 2026 That total began looking inadequate very quickly, though, when Samson and Abhishek began India’s chase. New Zealand’s innings contained no overs of 20-plus runs.
India began theirs with two such overs in just the first four overs, with Lockie Ferguson and Adam Milne conceding a combined 48 from overs three and four. This was partly the result of absurdly high-quality T20 shotmaking, and partly New Zealand’s struggle to control a new ball that swung extravagantly and also seamed on occasion. By the end of the fifth over, they had bowled four wides and conceded 14 runs off those non-balls.
When Samson, who faced the bulk of the strike during the opening stand, brought up a 23-ball half-century in the sixth over, it looked like India were cruising to victory. Then Abhishek, making room to carve Bracewell, was caught at short third for 29 off 12, and the game was transformed. India didn’t send in Ishan Kishan, their regular No.
3, at the fall of Abhishek’s wicket. Instead it was Tilak Varma who walked out. Tilak had occupied that position until midway through this year’s T20 World Cup, and lost it because of his struggle to score quickly against spin through the middle overs.
That struggle continued into this game, and he fell to a miscued slog off Bracewell, having scored 6 off 11 balls. By then, Samson had also fallen, inside-edging Santner onto his stumps. When Santner struck again in the 11th over, temng Kishan to hit to the longer leg-side boundary and getting him caught at deep midwicket, India had gone from 93 for 0 to 122 for 4.
Then India promoted Axar Patel, who before this game had averaged averaged 7.57 and struck at 98.14 across 17 T20I innings this year. There was some context to those numbers, though – with Shivam Dube taking over the spin-disruptor role in the middle order, Axar had mostly batted at No. Now with Dube out of the side – Nitish Kumar Reddy had replaced him, likely because India must have thought these conditions called for a pace-hitting seam allrounder rather than a spin-hitting seam allrounder – Axar walked in at No.
And he made a crucial contribution, scoring 24 off 14 balls and putting on 45 off 24 with Iyer. Both benefitted from dropped catches along the way, with the far more straightforward chance shelled by Allen at long-on when Iyer was on 27 off 15. Iyer added another 15 to his score in a 43-run stand with Dhir, before falling to a cutter from Adam Milne in the 19th over.
This left India needing 16 off 11 balls. New Zealand did their best to drag the match into the final over with eight runs still needed, but India’s start and the dew eventually caught up with them. Santner bowled two long-hops in his final over, the 17th, and Nathan Smith, Milne and Matt Henry all sent down full-tosses in the last three.
Dhir continued the impressive start to his international career, finding the boundary whenever the pressure seemed to be mounting, and finished the match with a top-edged hook for six with two runs needed from three balls. Naman Dhir walks off after winning the game for India, New Zealand vs India, 1st T20I, Christchurch, October 22, 2026 nicked and gone, and Mayank’s pace does the trick! Back of a length outside off, bowled at 141kph.
Straightens a touch after pitching, and Seifert, trying to bash this over cover, only manages a feather. Easy grab for Samson, and this is a massive breakthrough for the visitors! skewed a mile up, and Axar bags the big fish!
Fired in on a back of a length just outside off, and this seems to stick a little. Straightens too maybe and Allen, looking to go big over long on, loses his she completely. Cuts across it way too much and Tilak accepts the offering with glee at long off.
Big, big wicket! goes straight up, and taken! Shortish and angling across the batter outside off.
Mitchell tries to fight the angle and has an almighty swipe at it. Gets it all wrong and the ball goes a mile up. Comes down with some snow on it, but when it does, Bhuvneshwar is on hand at short third to gobble it up.
A wicket in his 100th T20I, and Mitchell’s cameo comes to an end! has Jacobs been run out?! Arshdeep cramps Phillips for room with a full ball, and Phillips can only dig it out.
Jacobs senses an opportunity for a single and calls. Arshdeep does his best Lionel Messi impression and with a wave of the left boot, slots it into the stumps. Jacobs dove full-length but was caught just short.
Excellent by the pacer, and perhs now we know why these teams play so much of football in their warm-ups! The prize New Zealand and India are playing five T20Is for, New Zealand vs India, 1st T20I, Christchurch, October 22, 2026 Indian fans flock into the Hagley Oval, New Zealand vs India, 1st T20I, Christchurch, October 22, 2026 Arshdeep Singh and Kyle Jamieson catch up, New Zealand vs India, 1st T20I, Christchurch, October 22, 2026 goes straight up, and taken! Shortish and angling across the batter outside off.
Mitchell tries to fight the angle and has an almighty swipe at it. Gets it all wrong and the ball goes a mile up. Comes down with some snow on it, but when it does, Bhuvneshwar is on hand at short third to gobble it up.
A wicket in his 100th T20I, and Mitchell’s cameo comes to an end! nicked and gone, and Mayank’s pace does the trick! Back of a length outside off, bowled at 141kph.
Straightens a touch after pitching, and Seifert, trying to bash this over cover, only manages a feather. Easy grab for Samson, and this is a massive breakthrough for the visitors! skewed a mile up, and Axar bags the big fish!
Fired in on a back of a length just outside off, and this seems to stick a little. Straightens too maybe and Allen, looking to go big over long on, loses his she completely. Cuts across it way too much and Tilak accepts the offering with glee at long off.
Big, big wicket! nicked and gone, and Mayank’s pace does the trick! Back of a length outside off, bowled at 141kph.
Straightens a touch after pitching, and Seifert, trying to bash this over cover, only manages a feather. Easy grab for Samson, and this is a massive breakthrough for the visitors! skewed a mile up, and Axar bags the big fish!
Fired in on a back of a length just outside off, and this seems to stick a little. Straightens too maybe and Allen, looking to go big over long on, loses his she completely. Cuts across it way too much and Tilak accepts the offering with glee at long off.
Big, big wicket! goes straight up, and taken! Shortish and angling across the batter outside off.
Mitchell tries to fight the angle and has an almighty swipe at it. Gets it all wrong and the ball goes a mile up. Comes down with some snow on it, but when it does, Bhuvneshwar is on hand at short third to gobble it up.
A wicket in his 100th T20I, and Mitchell’s cameo comes to an end! has Jacobs been run out?! Arshdeep cramps Phillips for room with a full ball, and Phillips can only dig it out.
Jacobs senses an opportunity for a single and calls. Arshdeep does his best Lionel Messi impression and with a wave of the left boot, slots it into the stumps. Jacobs dove full-length but was caught just short.
Excellent by the pacer, and perhs now we know why these teams play so much of football in their warm-ups! chopped on, and Samson cannot believe it! Slow and short outside off.
Seems to hold in the pitch too and Samson, trying to hit it too hard, loses she a little. Jams it off the inside edge and the ball bobbles into off stump. Not the best ball Santner has ever bowled, but he has sent back the set batter.
Take nothing away from the innings, though! off-spin gets Abhishek again, and Bracewell roars in delight! Fizzed through on a length on middle and leg.
Abhishek backs away and tries to go inside-out. A hint of turn, though, and that causes the miscue. Off the outer half of the blade and Milne does the rest at short third!
Michael Bracewell celebrates a wicket with Mitchell Santner, New Zealand vs India, 1st T20I, Christchurch, October 22, 2026 heaved into the leg side, and Tilak’s troubled stay has come to an end! Given a bit of loop on a length on leg. Tilak hares down and tries to lift this over long on.
Does not get to the pitch of the ball, meaning that he has to reach out in front. Drags it eventually and a very simple chance for Ferguson at deep mid wicket! Michael Bracewell celebrates with Mitchell Santner after dismissing Tilak Varma, New Zealand vs India, 1st T20I, Christchurch, October 22, 2026 clothed to extra cover, and NZ keep fighting!
Back of a length outside off. Shreyas wants to loft this over extra cover but does not get the elevation he wants. A feeble chip to Santner, who tumbles forward to complete the catch.
Is there a twist in this tale still? Kishan looks to go big, and he perishes! Looped up full on the stumps, and Kishan’s eyes light up.
He gets down on one knee, trying to mow it over cow corner. Gets it off the bottom half of the bat, though, and Allen, running forward and to his left from long on, slides to complete the catch. India in a spot of bother now!
no need for DRS this time! Hard length on middle and leg, and this rushes onto Axar. Gets a little big on him too, while also cramping Axar up.
A short-arm-jab in the end and the ball pops up tamely towards mid wicket, where Conway lunges forward and sends Axar packing! clothed to extra cover, and NZ keep fighting! Back of a length outside off.
Shreyas wants to loft this over extra cover but does not get the elevation he wants. A feeble chip to Santner, who tumbles forward to complete the catch. Is there a twist in this tale still?
no need for DRS this time! Hard length on middle and leg, and this rushes onto Axar. Gets a little big on him too, while also cramping Axar up.
A short-arm-jab in the end and the ball pops up tamely towards mid wicket, where Conway lunges forward and sends Axar packing! Michael Bracewell celebrates a wicket with Mitchell Santner, New Zealand vs India, 1st T20I, Christchurch, October 22, 2026 Michael Bracewell celebrates with Mitchell Santner after dismissing Tilak Varma, New Zealand vs India, 1st T20I, Christchurch, October 22, 2026 off-spin gets Abhishek again, and Bracewell roars in delight! Fizzed through on a length on middle and leg.
Abhishek backs away and tries to go inside-out. A hint of turn, though, and that causes the miscue. Off the outer half of the blade and Milne does the rest at short third!
heaved into the leg side, and Tilak’s troubled stay has come to an end! Given a bit of loop on a length on leg. Tilak hares down and tries to lift this over long on.
Does not get to the pitch of the ball, meaning that he has to reach out in front. Drags it eventually and a very simple chance for Ferguson at deep mid wicket! chopped on, and Samson cannot believe it!
Slow and short outside off. Seems to hold in the pitch too and Samson, trying to hit it too hard, loses she a little. Jams it off the inside edge and the ball bobbles into off stump.
Not the best ball Santner has ever bowled, but he has sent back the set batter. Take nothing away from the innings, though! Kishan looks to go big, and he perishes!
Looped up full on the stumps, and Kishan’s eyes light up. He gets down on one knee, trying to mow it over cow corner. Gets it off the bottom half of the bat, though, and Allen, running forward and to his left from long on, slides to complete the catch.
India in a spot of bother now! off-spin gets Abhishek again, and Bracewell roars in delight! Fizzed through on a length on middle and leg.
Abhishek backs away and tries to go inside-out. A hint of turn, though, and that causes the miscue. Off the outer half of the blade and Milne does the rest at short third!
Michael Bracewell celebrates a wicket with Mitchell Santner, New Zealand vs India, 1st T20I, Christchurch, October 22, 2026 chopped on, and Samson cannot believe it! Slow and short outside off. Seems to hold in the pitch too and Samson, trying to hit it too hard, loses she a little.
Jams it off the inside edge and the ball bobbles into off stump. Not the best ball Santner has ever bowled, but he has sent back the set batter. Take nothing away from the innings, though!
heaved into the leg side, and Tilak’s troubled stay has come to an end! Given a bit of loop on a length on leg. Tilak hares down and tries to lift this over long on.
Does not get to the pitch of the ball, meaning that he has to reach out in front. Drags it eventually and a very simple chance for Ferguson at deep mid wicket! Michael Bracewell celebrates with Mitchell Santner after dismissing Tilak Varma, New Zealand vs India, 1st T20I, Christchurch, October 22, 2026 Kishan looks to go big, and he perishes!
Looped up full on the stumps, and Kishan’s eyes light up. He gets down on one knee, trying to mow it over cow corner. Gets it off the bottom half of the bat, though, and Allen, running forward and to his left from long on, slides to complete the catch.
India in a spot of bother now! no need for DRS this time! Hard length on middle and leg, and this rushes onto Axar.
Gets a little big on him too, while also cramping Axar up. A short-arm-jab in the end and the ball pops up tamely towards mid wicket, where Conway lunges forward and sends Axar packing! clothed to extra cover, and NZ keep fighting!
Back of a length outside off. Shreyas wants to loft this over extra cover but does not get the elevation he wants. A feeble chip to Santner, who tumbles forward to complete the catch.
Is there a twist in this tale still? Batting in white-ball cricket has become less about where the head is or the feet go and more about what the hands do NZ vs IND 1st T20I – Shreyas Iyer says conditions changed during the Christchurch T20I against New Zealand Samson said his stint behind the stumps gave him a reference point for what to do while batting in Christchurch Naman Dhir walks off after winning the game for India, New Zealand vs India, 1st T20I, Christchurch, October 22, 2026 New Zealand have marked Daryl Mitchell to bat at No. 3 and have slotted Bevon Jacobs to bat in the middle order NZ vs IND 1st T20I LIVE scores and updates – Sanju Samson, Shreyas Iyer and Naman Dhir star in tense India win It’s the first T20I in India’s all-format series in New Zealand and the home side would back themselves to put it past the jetlagged visitors.
Follow live scores and updates right here. “Catches hpen and drop catches hpen, but we need to be counting them properly,” said Glenn Phillips Naman Dhir walks off after winning the game for India, New Zealand vs India, 1st T20I, Christchurch, October 22, 2026 Shreyas Iyer’s ctaincy will be in the spotlight once again, while New Zealand fans look forward to a rare glimpse of Finn Allen at home Shreyas Iyer on Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s inclusion, his preferred batting position and the conversation with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi NZ vs IND 1st T20I LIVE scores and updates – Sanju Samson, Shreyas Iyer and Naman Dhir star in tense India win It’s the first T20I in India’s all-format series in New Zealand and the home side would back themselves to put it past the jetlagged visitors. Follow live scores and updates right here.
A wide angle view of England’s match against South Africa at the Kensington Oval in Barbados, England v South Africa, Super Eights, Barbados, ril 17, 2007 The Hagley Oval drew a big crowd , England v Scotland, World Cup 2015, Group A, Christchurch, February 23, 2015 The Hagley Oval drew a big crowd , England v Scotland, World Cup 2015, Group A, Christchurch, February 23, 2015 The Hagley Oval drew a big crowd , England v Scotland, World Cup 2015, Group A, Christchurch, February 23, 2015 A general view of Westpac Stadium during the third Twenty20 International match between New Zealand and England at Westpac Stadium on February 15, 2013 in Wellington, New Zealand NZ vs IND 2026/27, NZ vs IND 1st T20I Match Report, October 22, 2026 – Samson, Iyer and Dhir pull off record chase against NZ in T20I series opener NZ vs IND 2026/27, New Zealand vs India Match Report: Entertainment galore in Christchurch, with Glenn Phillips’ 40-ball 82 going in vain for the hosts
