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Tilak Varma’s unbeaten 51 off 26 balls powered India to a four-wicket victory over New Zealand in the second T20I at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Saturday, October 24, 2026. India chased down a target of 181 with one ball remaining, finishing at 181/6 in 19.5 overs to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
The result looked far from certain when India slipped to 70/5 in the 11th over and later stood at 112/6. Varma and Nitish Kumar Reddy responded with an unbeaten 69-run partnership from just 30 deliveries, turning a difficult chase into a late surge and ensuring the visitors stayed in control of the series.
India’s pursuit of 181 was disrupted by New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner, who claimed 4/21 and removed key batters during the middle overs. With wickets falling and the required rate climbing, India needed a partnership that could balance urgency with the need to bat through to the end.
Varma supplied the decisive innings, finishing unbeaten on 51 from 26 balls with six fours and a six. Nitish Kumar Reddy supported him with 26 not out from 13 deliveries and struck the winning runs. Their stand of 69 from 30 balls for the seventh wicket changed the direction of the match, particularly in the closing overs when India accelerated against the New Zealand pace attack.
Naman Dhir had also kept India in contention with a brisk 31 from 17 balls, but his dismissal left the chase finely balanced. Varma’s calm finish and Reddy’s contribution ensured India did not allow Santner’s spell to decide the contest.
New Zealand finished on 180/5 after recovering from early wickets. India’s bowlers had reduced the hosts to 41/3, with Arshdeep Singh taking two wickets and ending with figures of 2/33. The home side then rebuilt through Glenn Phillips and Bevon Jacobs, who added 116 runs for the fourth wicket.
Phillips scored 70, while Jacobs made 58, giving New Zealand a competitive total after the early setback. Their partnership changed the shape of the innings and put India under pressure to produce a disciplined chase. The target of 181 required India to maintain a steady scoring rate, but Santner’s wickets made the task significantly harder.
Despite the late collapse, India’s lower-order resilience proved decisive. The visitors kept enough wickets and scoring options available for Varma and Reddy to attack when the match entered its final stages.
- 181/6 in 19.5 overs: India’s winning total.
- 180/5: New Zealand’s score in 20 overs.
- 51 not out off 26 balls: Tilak Varma’s match-winning innings.
- 26 not out off 13 balls: Nitish Kumar Reddy’s contribution.
- 69 runs from 30 balls: The unbroken seventh-wicket partnership.
- 4/21: Mitchell Santner’s bowling figures for New Zealand.
The victory gives India a 2-0 advantage in the five-match series and leaves New Zealand needing to respond in the next fixture to keep the contest alive. It also demonstrated India’s ability to recover from a position of considerable pressure rather than relying only on a strong start from the top order.
Varma’s innings was especially important because it came after India had lost regular wickets. His decision to stay until the end, while increasing the scoring rate late in the innings, gave Reddy the opportunity to contribute without needing to carry the entire chase himself. The partnership showed how a late-order stand can change a match even when the required rate rises sharply.
The third T20I is the next opportunity for India to clinch the series, while New Zealand will look to prevent the visitors from taking an unassailable lead. For India, the immediate positives are the result, Varma’s finishing performance and Reddy’s support under pressure. New Zealand, meanwhile, will review how a strong position created by Santner’s four wickets slipped away in the closing overs.
India’s four-wicket win in Christchurch was not a straightforward chase, but the response from Varma and Reddy turned the match around when the team needed it most. With India leading 2-0, the series now moves forward with the visitors holding the advantage.
