India beat New Zealand by four wickets in first T20I with record 226 chase

India completed their highest successful chase in a men’s T20 international on Thursday, October 22, beating New Zealand by four wickets in the first T20I at Hagley Oval in Christchurch. Chasing 226, India reached 230 for six with two balls to spare and took a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

Sanju Samson set up the chase with 67 from 33 balls, while Naman Dhir’s unbeaten 42 from 15 balls carried India home after New Zealand had fought back in the middle overs. Glenn Phillips had earlier struck 82 not out from 40 balls to lift the hosts to 225 for four.

Samson’s fast start, Dhir’s late finish

Samson and Abhishek Sharma put on 93 for the opening wicket in fewer than six overs. Abhishek made 29 from 12 balls before Michael Bracewell dismissed him, but India’s quick start had already cut sharply into the target.

New Zealand then turned the match around. Samson fell for 67, and Tilak Varma and Ishan Kishan followed soon after. India slipped to 122 for four in the 11th over, giving the hosts a way back into a chase that had begun at a remarkable pace.

Captain Shreyas Iyer steadied India with 42 from 28 balls. Axar Patel added 24 from 14 before Dhir took charge of the finish. Dhir was still there when he struck a six off the fourth ball of the final over to complete the win.

Bracewell and New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner took two wickets each. Their work against India’s middle order made the contest close, but the opening stand and Dhir’s late burst proved decisive.

Phillips leads New Zealand to 225

India chose to field first, but New Zealand’s batters made a strong start. Finn Allen scored 45 from 24 balls and Tim Seifert made 24 from 17. Phillips then led the later surge, hitting eight fours and three sixes in his unbeaten 82.

Bevon Jacobs contributed 31 from 16 balls and shared a 73-run fourth-wicket stand with Phillips. New Zealand finished on 225 for four, leaving India needing more than 11 runs an over from the start of their innings.

Arshdeep Singh, Mayank Yadav and Axar Patel took one wicket each for India. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, playing his first international match in nearly four years, finished with figures of none for 49 from four overs.

How the chase compares with India’s previous best

India’s previous highest successful target in a men’s T20I was 209, reached twice: against Australia in Visakhapatnam in November 2023 and against New Zealand in Raipur in January 2026. Thursday’s target of 226 was 17 runs higher.

The distinction is the target chased, not simply the final score. India had, for example, finished on 211 for four while beating Sri Lanka in 2009, but the target in that match was 207. In Christchurch, India had to reach 226 to win and finished on 230 after Dhir’s final six.

The teams return to Hagley Oval for the second T20I on Saturday, October 24. India will have a chance to extend their lead, while New Zealand will look to level the five-match series after posting a total that had appeared enough to win the opener.