India chased down 226 with two balls to spare to beat New Zealand by four wickets in the first T20I at Hagley Oval, Christchurch, on 22 October 2026. Sanju Samson, the player of the match, led the pursuit with 67 off 33 balls, and Naman Dhir finished it with an unbeaten 42 off 15.
How It Unfolded
India won the toss and chose to field. New Zealand made 225/4, built around Glenn Phillips's unbeaten 82 off 40 balls, which included eight fours and three sixes. Finn Allen gave the innings a quick start with 45 off 24, Bevon Jacobs struck three sixes in 31 off 16 before he was run out, and Daryl Mitchell added 28 off 19. Tim Seifert made 24 off 17. Mayank Yadav was India's most economical bowler with 1/40 from four overs, while Arshdeep Singh took 1/45 and Axar Patel 1/51.
India's reply opened with Abhishek Sharma's 29 off 12 balls, three of them sixes. Samson hit eight fours and four sixes in his 67, and Shreyas Iyer added 42 off 28. Axar Patel chipped in with 24 off 14 before Dhir, with five fours and two sixes, took India to 230/6 in 19.4 overs. Michael Bracewell (2/37) and Mitchell Santner (2/39) were New Zealand's best bowlers, with Lockie Ferguson taking 1/34 and Adam Milne 1/43.
The Oracle's Call
The CricMind Oracle locked India as 73% favourites before the toss, with New Zealand at 27%, and the call was correct. India came in as the Oracle's top-rated side on 1683 with five straight wins, against a New Zealand side rated 1540 and playing at home. The full Oracle call sets out each factor.
What's Next
India lead the series 1-0 with five matches to play, and the Oracle now gives them an 80% chance of winning it. Follow every remaining fixture on the India tour of New Zealand 2026/27 hub.
Source: Scorecard and the Oracle call.