India secure 2-0 series lead with 4-wicket win in Christchurch
- India won the 2nd T20I by four wickets in Christchurch.
- India now leads the five-match T20I series 2-0.
- Tilak Varma and Nitish Kumar Reddy shared an unbeaten 69-run stand.
- New Zealand set a target of 181 runs after scoring 180/5.
- Mitchell Santner took 4/21 for New Zealand in a losing cause.
India defeated New Zealand by four wickets in the second T20I match held in Christchurch on Saturday, October 24, 2026. The victory required India to successfully chase a target of 181 runs.
This result gives India a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. The team secured this advantage following the win on Saturday.
Tilak Varma and Nitish Kumar Reddy anchor successful chase
India fell to 112/6 during the chase on a challenging surface after an initial start of 40/0. The team managed to win with a ball to spare.
Tilak Varma and Nitish Kumar Reddy shared an unbeaten 69-run stand for the seventh wicket. Varma remained unbeaten on 51 off 26 balls, while Reddy finished unbeaten on 26 off 13 balls to steer the team to victory.
New Zealand sets 181-run target
New Zealand set a target of 181 runs after finishing their innings at 180/5 in 20 overs. The team reached 41/3 within the powerplay as Tim Seifert scored 7, Daryl Mitchell 6, and Finn Allen 16.
Glenn Phillips and Bevon Jacobs formed a 116-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Phillips scored 70 runs off 46 balls, while Jacobs contributed 58 runs off 46 balls.
Mitchell Santner leads New Zealand bowling effort
Mitchell Santner took 4/21 in four overs for New Zealand, causing a middle-overs collapse for India. Santner dismissed Abhishek Sharma, who was caught by Nathan Smith at deep mid-wicket.
Shreyas Iyer was bowled by Santner during this same bowling spell. Axar Patel was caught by Daryl Mitchell after Finn Allen flicked the ball back into play from over the boundary rope off Santner. Naman Dhir was also dismissed by Santner, caught by a fielder near the boundary.
Indian bowling contributions
Arshdeep Singh led the Indian bowling attack with figures of 2/33 in four overs. Nitish Kumar Reddy, Prince Yadav, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar each claimed one wicket.
Reddy dismissed Bevon Jacobs for 58 runs, with Axar Patel taking the catch at long-off. Prince Yadav finished with 1/30 in four overs, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar recorded 1/50 in his four overs.
Sports.ndtv.com reported on October 24 that India won by six wickets, despite the headline stating a four-wicket victory.
Early Indian batting struggles
Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson opened the batting for India in the chase. Sanju Samson was dismissed by Jacob Duffy, caught by Glenn Phillips at cover point; sources differ on his runs, with one reporting 14 runs (F6) and another 17 runs off 14 balls (F34).
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, scheduled to bat at number three, scored 4 runs off 8 balls before Nathan Smith dismissed him.
Other batting contributions included Abhishek Sharma with 27 off 21 balls, Shreyas Iyer with 11 off 7 balls, and Axar Patel with 11 off 9 balls. Naman Dhir added 31 runs from 17 balls, including three sixes and one four.
Match momentum and fielding lapses
Matt Henry bowled a maiden over to start the New Zealand bowling effort. In the second over, Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson scored 11 runs off Matt Henry, with Abhishek hitting a maximum and Samson a boundary.
Abhishek Sharma mistimed a shot off Jacob Duffy and was caught by Nathan Smith, but the umpire signaled a no-ball for overstepping. Following the no-ball, Abhishek hit two back-to-back boundaries off Jacob Duffy, who conceded 11 runs in that over.
Bevon Jacobs dropped two catches during the match, one from Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and one from Naman Dhir, both at backward point.
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