India reached 122 for three in 11.2 overs against New Zealand during the fifth and final T20I at Seddon Park in Hamilton on Sunday, November 1, 2026, after hosts won the toss and elected to bowl first in the series finale.
Hamilton Toss and Team Changes at Seddon Park
New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner won the toss and opted to bowl in Hamilton on Sunday, marking the first time India were sent to bat first in the T20I series as the visitors held an unassailable 3-1 lead. Entering the match with a series victory already secured, Shreyas Iyer and his squad made two adjustments to their lineup, introducing Varun Chakaravarthy and Bhuvneshwar Kumar while resting Mayank Yadav and Axar Patel. New Zealand also made a single alteration, bringing in Blair Tickner to replace Matt Fisher.
Fans in India followed the action through the Sony Sports Network TV channels with multilingual broadcasts covering English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada, alongside digital streaming on the Sony LIV app and website. Free-to-air television viewers tuned in via DD Sports on DD Free Dish.
The match began at 12:30 PM Indian Standard Time, with the coin toss taking place at noon. Shreyas Iyer stated at the toss that his side wanted to bat first to test themselves in a different situation, having chased targets in all four preceding games of the series. For New Zealand, the fixture offered a final chance to study combinations ahead of the upcoming ICC World Cup and improve a head-to-head record against India, following eight defeats in ten T20I matches played in 2026. The home side’s squad for the encounter also featured Tim Seifert as wicketkeeper, Finn Allen, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Bevon Jacobs, Michael Bracewell, Nathan Smith, Adam Milne, and Jacob Duffy, alongside substitutes like Kyle Jamieson, Devon Conway, Josh Clarkson, and Matt Fisher. India’s playing XI comprised Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan as wicketkeeper, captain Shreyas Iyer, Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Dhir, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav, and Varun Chakaravarthy.
Adam Milne Puts Visitors Under Pressure Early
Adam Milne put the visitors under pressure early by removing Sanju Samson, who nicked a delivery with a thick leading edge toward extra cover where Michael Bracewell took a tumbling catch. Milne bowled with significant pace and purpose, troubling Ishan Kishan with a sharp delivery that nipped back after an earlier close shave where Samson survived an outside edge on a tentative poke.
Jacob Duffy opened the bowling with the new ball for New Zealand, with Sanju Samson taking strike and Abhishek Sharma at the non-striker’s end. Adam Milne struck immediately with his very first delivery of the game, dismissing Abhishek Sharma for just one run after the explosive opener made room to go big but managed only a bottom edge that looped straight up for an easy catch by Daryl Mitchell at mid-on.
Despite the early dismissals, Kishan and Shreyas Iyer anchored a recovery effort. Kishan counterattacked aggressively, dispatching Nathan Smith through the ground and hitting Blair Tickner over the third-man boundary. A light drizzle began falling in Hamilton while India stood at 21 for two in the fourth over, though play continued through the weather.
Ishan Kishan Reaches a Blazing Half-Century
Kishan reached a blazing half-century by launching Mitchell Santner over wide long-on for a massive six, following an earlier let-off when Finn Allen’s spectacular effort at long-on was reviewed and ruled not out by the third umpire.