India Beat New Zealand by Four Wickets in 2nd T20I, Take 2-0 Series Lead

October 24, 2026

Christchurch, New Zealand: India defeated New Zealand by four wickets in the second T20I at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Saturday, October 24, to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. Tilak Varma played a crucial role in the chase as the visitors successfully reached the target of 181 after New Zealand posted 180 runs.

Chasing 181, India lost wickets at regular intervals and came under pressure during the middle overs. Tilak held his ground, however, and helped the team stay in the contest with an important half-century.

Naman Dhir also contributed with an aggressive knock of 31 runs off 17 balls before Mitchell Santner dismissed him. India were then 112/6 and still needed 74 runs from the final six overs.

With the required run rate climbing, Tilak and Nitish Kumar Reddy took responsibility in the closing stages. India scored 17 runs in the 18th over, bringing the target within reach. Tilak then struck 18 runs in the following over, leaving India needing only 11 runs from the final six balls.

The visitors completed the chase with four wickets remaining to secure another win in the series.

New Zealand Post 180 Runs

Earlier, India won the toss and elected to bowl first. The decision paid off in the opening overs as Arshdeep Singh dismissed Tim Seifert for seven runs. Bhuvneshwar Kumar then removed Daryl Mitchell for six, giving India an early advantage.

Prince Yadav also struck as New Zealand lost wickets during the powerplay. The hosts were struggling to build momentum before Glenn Phillips and Bevon Jacobs helped steady the innings.

Phillips scored 70 runs off 43 balls, providing the main thrust in the middle order. Jacobs added 58 runs before Nitish Kumar Reddy dismissed him. Arshdeep later removed Phillips, while India’s bowlers continued to restrict the hosts’ scoring opportunities.

New Zealand eventually finished at 180, setting India a target of 181.

India Close in on Series Victory

India’s chase began with Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma at the crease. Samson fell after India had reached 40, while 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi scored four runs before being dismissed.

Abhishek made 27, but Santner continued to trouble India’s middle order. He removed Shreyas Iyer for seven and later dismissed Axar Patel for 11. Naman Dhir’s quick 31 kept India’s hopes alive before Tilak took charge in the closing overs.

The four-wicket victory gives India a 2-0 advantage in the five-match T20I series against New Zealand.