IND vs NZ : Ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026, the India national cricket team played its final T20 international series against the New Zealand national cricket team. The five-match series ended in India’s favour, with the home side winning 4–1. India had already sealed the series by winning the first three matches. Although New Zealand managed to win the fourth game and regain some confidence, India came back strongly in the final match.
IND vs NZ : The last T20 was played at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. India produced a dominant all-round performance and won the match by 46 runs, finishing the series on a high note.
India captain Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and chose to bat first. Openers Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma gave India a steady start but were dismissed with the score at 42. After that, the match completely changed when Ishan Kishan walked in and played a breathtaking innings.
Ishan Kishan attacked the New Zealand bowlers from the start and never looked back. He scored 103 runs off just 43 balls, hitting six fours and ten sixes. This was his maiden T20 international century and one of the highlights of the series. His aggressive batting pushed New Zealand onto the back foot.
IND vs NZ : Captain Suryakumar Yadav supported the attack with a fluent knock of 63 runs from 30 balls. In the final overs, Hardik Pandya added quick runs, scoring 42 off 17 balls. Thanks to these efforts, India posted a massive total of 271 runs for the loss of five wickets in 20 overs. For New Zealand, Lockie Ferguson and Kyle Jamieson picked up two wickets each, but they could not stop the flow of runs.
While chasing the big target, New Zealand got off to a strong start. Finn Allen scored 80 runs from 38 balls, and Rachin Ravindra added 30 from 17 deliveries. The pair put together a 100-run partnership for the second wicket, raising hopes of a successful chase. However, India’s bowlers turned the game around soon after.
Left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh delivered an outstanding spell, taking five wickets. Axar Patel claimed three wickets, and Varun Chakravarthy took one. Under pressure, New Zealand were bowled out for 225 runs in 19.4 overs.
With this win, India wrapped up the series 4–1, gaining strong momentum and confidence ahead of the T20 World Cup.
