India secured a four-wicket victory over New Zealand in the first T20I at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on October 22, 2026, pulling off the highest successful run chase in T20 International history by reaching a 226-run target with two balls to spare.
India Wins Opener in Christchurch With Record Chase
Playing at Hagley Oval on October 22, 2026, India won the toss and elected to field first. New Zealand posted a formidable total of 225-4 in their 20 overs, driven by Glenn Phillips’ unbeaten 82 off 40 balls and Finn Allen’s 45 off 24 deliveries.
Openers Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma launched into the chase immediately, putting on 93 runs for the first wicket in just 5.5 overs.
4️⃣2️⃣* Runs1️⃣5️⃣ Balls2️⃣8️⃣0️⃣ Strike Rate5️⃣ Fours & 2️⃣ SixesHow good was that match-winning finish from Naman Dhir? 👇Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/ADfFnxXGzz#TeamIndia | #NZvIND pic.twitter.com/4PgLm8Rbim
Samson contributed 67 runs from 33 balls before falling to the bowling of New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner. Tim Seifert hit 24 runs and Daryl Mitchell added 28 runs. Arshdeep Singh and Mayank Yadav contributed with the ball for the visiting side, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar returned to the playing eleven for the first time in four years.
Naman Dhir Secures Victory Under Pressure
Captain Shreyas Iyer anchored the innings with 42 runs from 28 balls, sharing a 45-run partnership with Axar Patel, who added 24 runs off 14 deliveries.
India have arrived in Ōtautahi 🇮🇳 #NZVIND pic.twitter.com/bvNH65b7w7
When Iyer departed in the 19th over, Naman Dhir walked to the crease and delivered a match-winning finish.
Dhir stayed unbeaten with 42 runs from 15 balls, striking five fours and two sixes without playing a single dot ball.
This is truly a wonderful win. When we started bowling, the pitch looked a bit slow. The ball was also coming onto the bat slowly. Instead of bowling at the right length, we made the mistake of bowling a bit too full. Shreyas
How to Watch the Second T20I in Christchurch
With this victory, India leads the five-match series 1-0. The two teams will meet again at the same venue in Christchurch for the second T20I on October 24, 2026.
The match is scheduled to begin at 12:30 PM Indian Standard Time, with the toss taking place a half-hour prior and local play starting at 8:00 PM in New Zealand.
#TeamIndia en route New Zealand 🇳🇿 ✈️ #NZvIND pic.twitter.com/vnN1yWPLxk
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INDIA BEAT NEW ZEALAND IN THE 1ST T20I BY CHASING 226. 🇮🇳 – Naman Dhir played a vital knock of 42* (15). pic.twitter.com/xdjH2coSbt