India chased down 226 to beat New Zealand by four wickets with two balls to spare in the first T20I of the five-match series in Christchurch on Thursday. Sanju Samson made 67 off 33 balls before Shreyas Iyer and Naman Dhir completed India’s highest successful T20I chase, according to the Times of India match report.
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Samson drives India’s rapid start
Sanju Samson hit eight fours and four sixes as India reached 94/1 in the powerplay. The opener put on 93 with Abhishek Sharma, who scored 29 off 12 balls and hit Adam Milne for consecutive sixes in the fourth over.
Samson repeatedly went for the straight boundary, including a flick off Lockie Ferguson over long-on. The 67 was Samson’s eighth score of 50 or more in 26 T20I innings during the year.
New Zealand fought back through Mitchell Santner and Michael Bracewell after India had reached 93 without loss. India lost four wickets for 29 runs, slipping to 122/4 in the 11th over. Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma were dismissed while trying to clear the long boundaries.
Shreyas and Naman complete the chase
Shreyas Iyer scored 42 and Naman Dhir finished unbeaten on 42 off 15 balls to take India past the target. India needed 55 runs from the final five overs with five wickets remaining as the pair took the chase into its closing phase.
Shreyas survived a difficult chance when Finn Allen dropped him in the 15th over. Naman then struck timely boundaries, bringing down the required rate and helping India finish the chase with two deliveries unused.
Phillips lifts New Zealand to 225/8
Glenn Phillips made an unbeaten 82 off 40 balls as New Zealand posted 225/8 after India chose to bowl. Finn Allen contributed 45 off 24, while Bevon Jacobs added 31 off 16 and Tim Seifert scored 24 off 17.
New Zealand reached 65/1 after six overs. Mayank Yadav removed Seifert with the final ball of the fifth over, while Arshdeep Singh later dismissed Daryl Mitchell.
Allen attacked Arshdeep during the powerplay, and Seifert took 17 runs from Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s second over. Bhuvneshwar conceded 49 runs from four overs without taking a wicket, while Axar Patel conceded 51 runs.
New Zealand scored 67 runs in the final five overs, with Phillips ending the innings with a switch hit over cover. The 225/8 total was New Zealand’s highest T20I score on home soil and the side’s joint-highest T20I total against India.
India’s highest successful T20I chases
India’s chase of 226 in Christchurch surpassed the team’s previous successful T20I chases listed in the match report.
| Target | Opponent | Venue | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 226 | New Zealand | Christchurch | 2026 |
| 209 | Australia | Visakhapatnam | 2023 |
| 209 | New Zealand | Raipur | 2026 |
| 208 | West Indies | Hyderabad | 2019 |
| 207 | Sri Lanka | Mohali | 2009 |
| 204 | New Zealand | Auckland | 2020 |
Second T20I remains in Christchurch
India and New Zealand will return to Hagley Oval on Saturday for the second match of the five-game T20I series. India go into that match after opening the series with a win.
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