India head into the final T20I against New Zealand with a 3-1 series lead, but the 87-run defeat in Auckland has raised questions over selection. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi could return at the top, while Kuldeep Yadav or Varun Chakravarthy are options to strengthen the spin attack.
Glenn Phillips has scored 276 runs in New Zealand’s T20I series against India and needs 56 in the fifth match to surpass Phil Salt’s bilateral-series record of 331. He is also 15 runs away from breaking Mark Chapman’s New Zealand record for a bilateral T20I series.
New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner became the leading T20I wicket-taker against India with 32 scalps in 31 matches during the fourth T20I in Auckland. His 2/24 also took him past 150 career wickets in the format.
India captain Shreyas Iyer admitted the bowling effort fell short after New Zealand piled up 259/7 and won the fourth T20I by 87 runs in Auckland. Iyer pointed to the powerplay, Glenn Phillips’ century and the challenge of adapting to Eden Park’s dimensions.
Glenn Phillips smashes 107 off 49 balls as New Zealand score 259/7 and defeat India by 87 runs in the fourth T20I at Auckland. Jacob Duffy takes 4/23.
Ravichandran Ashwin awarded Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Abhishek Sharma perfect 10s after India chased 199 in 13.2 overs to beat New Zealand by six wickets and take a 3-0 series lead.
The result gives India a 3-0 lead in the five-match series, ensuring that New Zealand can no longer win the series. The hosts will now look to bounce back in the remaining two matches.
India became the first team to record 200 outright men's T20I wins after chasing 181 against New Zealand in Christchurch, with Tilak Varma and Nitish Kumar Reddy combining for an unbeaten 69-run stand.
Tilak Varma struck an unbeaten 51 off 26 balls as India chased 181 to beat New Zealand by four wickets in Christchurch, taking a 2-0 lead in the five-match T20I series. His unbroken 69-run stand with Nitish Kumar Reddy rescued India after the visitors slipped to 112/6.
Naman Dhir smashed an unbeaten 42 from 15 balls as India chased 226 to beat New Zealand by four wickets in Christchurch, setting a new Indian record for the highest score from No. 7 or lower in a successful T20I chase.
New Zealand have named a 16-member squad for their five-match T20I series against India, with Mitchell Santner as captain and Adam Milne returning. Rachin Ravindra misses the T20I series with a shoulder injury as the Black Caps prepare for the opening match on October 22, 2026.
