Naman Dhir’s 15-ball 42 guided India to a four-wicket win over New Zealand in a high-scoring match in the first T20I at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Wednesday. With the result, India took a 1-0 lead in the five-match T20I series.
Chasing a target of 226 for the win, openers Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharman set the tone early with a devastating display of power-hitting in the Powerplay. The duo combined to score 94 runs in the first six to hand India the early advantage
New Zealand, however, turned the tide once field restrictions were relaxed, getting rid of both openers along with Tilak Varma and Ishan Kishan in quick succession. The home side controlled proceedings in the middle-overs, stemming the flow of runs to put India in a spot of bother.
Published on Oct 22, 2026
