India Chase 226 in Christchurch: Samson, Iyer and Dhir Seal 1st T20I Win Over New Zealand

India vs New Zealand 1st T20I: India beat New Zealand by four wickets at Hagley Oval, Christchurch, on 22 October, chasing 226 with two balls to spare. They lead the five-match series 1-0, and ESPNcricinfo called it a record chase against New Zealand. The day after, the BCCI ruled Ishan Kishan out of the second match with a low-grade right adductor strain.

Scores (as of 23 October 2026): New Zealand 225 for 4 in 20 overs (Glenn Phillips 82 not out off 40, Finn Allen 45 off 24). India 230 for 6 in 19.4 overs (Sanju Samson 67 off 33, Shreyas Iyer 42 off 28, Naman Dhir 42 not out off 15; Michael Bracewell 2 for 37, Mitchell Santner 2 for 39). Player of the match: Sanju Samson.

New Zealand's innings: Phillips makes the difference

Allen, playing his first T20 at home since March 2025, hit 45 off 24 and had New Zealand at 80 for 2 inside the eighth over. India's bowlers then kept a lid on things until Phillips and Bevon Jacobs added 73 off 33 balls for the fourth wicket. Phillips used his feet against Axar Patel and pulled anything short, finishing unbeaten on 82 with eight fours and three sixes.

The 225 for 4 was New Zealand's highest T20I total against India. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, playing international cricket for the first time in nearly four years, went wicketless for 49. Arshdeep Singh, Mayank Yadav and Axar took a wicket each.

Turning point 1: a 35-ball opening stand

Samson and Abhishek Sharma put on 93 for the first wicket in 35 balls. The third and fourth overs, from Lockie Ferguson and Adam Milne, cost 48 runs between them. New Zealand struggled to control a swinging new ball, and by the end of the fifth over they had bowled four wides. Samson reached his fifty in 23 balls.

Turning point 2: the spin squeeze and the Tilak gamble

Once the powerplay ended, Bracewell and Santner changed the game. India went from 93 for 1 to 122 for 4, losing four wickets for 29 runs in 22 balls:

• Abhishek (29 off 12) was caught at short third man off Bracewell.
• Samson inside-edged Santner onto his stumps.
• Tilak Varma, promoted to No. 3, made 6 off 11 before falling to Bracewell.
• Kishan went for 1.

The Tilak promotion was criticised in the Indian media, but batting coach Sitanshu Kotak later explained that it was forced: Kishan, who usually bats at No. 3, had a groin niggle. That is a useful reminder that some "tactical" choices are really fitness decisions.

Turning point 3: Iyer holds, Dhir finishes

Captain Iyer added 45 with Axar (24 off 14) to stop the slide, and did it despite being hit on the fingers by a Nathan Smith no-ball. Then Dhir, who made his T20I debut this month, finished it with 42 not out off 15 balls (five fours and two sixes).

New Zealand also gave away 17 extras, including 16 wides, in a game decided with two balls to spare. That is the hidden margin.

Team news: Kishan out, Sooryavanshi in the frame

The BCCI said on 23 October that Kishan is ruled out of the second T20I with a low-grade right adductor strain sustained in the first match, and that its medical team is monitoring him. That could open the door for 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Iyer had said before the series that Sooryavanshi would have to wait while Samson and Abhishek were in form. Whether India move Samson down to No. 3 to fit the teenager in, as they did at the Asian Games, is the big selection question.

What's next

• 2nd T20I: Saturday, 24 October, Hagley Oval, Christchurch (8pm local, 12:30pm IST)
• 3rd T20I: 27 October, Wellington
• 4th T20I: 30 October, Auckland
• 5th T20I: 1 November, Hamilton

Update, 24 October: read our IND vs NZ 2nd T20I preview for probable XIs, the dew and pitch factors and the key match-ups.

Dew made chasing easier on Thursday night, so expect the toss to matter again. Our explainer on how to read a cricket pitch and make the toss call covers why. Bracewell and Santner's middle-overs control is also a textbook case from our finger spin vs wrist spin guide.

Sources: ESPNcricinfo match report, The Indian Express, India Today, Hindustan Times scorecard, ICC fixture list.