India lead the series 1-0 after a 48-run victory over New Zealand in Nagpur in the India vs New Zealand, 1st T20I.

 

Author : Akshita Jain | EQmint | Sports News

 

On Wednesday, India won by 48 runs against New Zealand at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur, and it became 1-0 up in the five-match IND vs NZ T20 2026 series.

 

India scored 238/7, the highest total of T20I ever against New Zealand. The big hitter of the game was Abhishek Sharma, who scored 84 off 35 balls. He hit 8 sixes, 5 fours and added his fifty in 22 balls, the fastest for an Indian vs NZ in T20Is. Rinku Singh scored 44 off 20,* and India also had a huge lead.

 

India blinked at 27/2, with Sanju Samson (10) and Ishan Kishan (8), both of whom quickly left. But Abhishek countered and added runs quickly with Suryakumar Yadav playing his 100th T20I and scoring 32.

 

IND vs NZ Squads

India: Sanju Samson(w), Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Rinku Singh, Ishan Kishan, Axar Patel,  Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah.

 

New Zealand: Tim Robinson, Devon Conway(w), Ish Sodhi, Kristian Clarke, Zakary Foulkes Rachin Ravindra, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Jacob Duffy, Matt Henry, Bevon Jacobs, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner(c), Kyle Jamieson.

 

India started well in the chase. Arshdeep Singh sacked Devon Conway for 0, and Hardik Pandya sacked Rachin Ravindra soon after. New Zealand were then under pressure, even though Glenn Phillips knocked out 78 of 40. He tried to push the game deep but once he got out, the chase stopped. The rest of the bowlers, Varun Chakravarthy (2/37) and the rest of the players controlled, and New Zealand won on 190/7.

 

Abhishek And RInku For Win

Abhishek Sharma’s 84 and Rinku Singh’s late hitting powered India to 238/7 against New Zealand in the 1st T20I—their highest-ever T20I total vs the Kiwis.

 

New Zealand brought on spin after the powerplay, but it only suited Abhishek Sharma. He cut Ish Sodhi for four and then picked up more runs off Glenn Phillips in the next over. Abhishek raced to his fifty in just 22 balls — the fastest by an Indian batter against New Zealand in T20Is, beating KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma’s previous record by one ball.

 

He didn’t slow down after that. Abhishek smashed Mitchell Santner for a massive six over deep square leg and then hit two more sixes off Sodhi. He went for another big hit but was caught at wide long-on.

 

India also made a key team change for the match. They left out Kuldeep Yadav and brought in Rinku Singh, adding more batting depth and extra firepower in the middle order.

 

This series against New Zealand is being seen as an important run-up to the T20 World Cup, giving India a chance to test combinations before the tournament.

 

Next match: 2nd T20I in Raipur on Friday.

Short scores: India 238/7 (Abhishek 84, Rinku 44*; Duffy 2/27) outhit New Zealand 190/7 (Phillips 78; Varun 2/37) by 48 runs.

 

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Resource Link : ESPN