India defeated New Zealand by four wickets in a tense second T20I at Hagley Oval, Christchurch, to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. Chasing 181, India slipped to 70/5 before Tilak Varma, Naman Dhir and Nitish Kumar Reddy transformed the contest. India finished on 181/6 in 19.5 overs.
New Zealand vs India second T20I result
New Zealand: 180/5 in 20 overs.
India: 181/6 in 19.5 overs.
Result: India won by four wickets with one ball remaining.
Series: India lead the five-match series 2-0.
Player of the Match: Tilak Varma for an unbeaten 51 from 26 balls.
Phillips and Jacobs rebuild New Zealand
India's seamers made early inroads after New Zealand were asked to bat. Arshdeep Singh removed Tim Seifert, Bhuvneshwar Kumar dismissed Daryl Mitchell and Prince Yadav bowled Finn Allen, leaving the hosts 41/3 at the end of the powerplay.
Glenn Phillips and Bevon Jacobs then added 116 for the fourth wicket. Phillips struck 70 from 43 balls, while Jacobs made 58 from 46. Michael Bracewell's 10 from two deliveries lifted New Zealand to 180/5. Arshdeep finished with 2/33.
Santner leaves India in deep trouble
India's chase began unevenly. Sanju Samson made 14, Abhishek Sharma scored 27 and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was dismissed for four. Captain Mitchell Santner then ran through the middle order, removing Abhishek, Axar Patel, Shreyas Iyer and Naman Dhir on his way to 4/21.
At 70/5 in the 11th over, India needed a recovery as well as acceleration. Naman Dhir supplied both, striking 31 from 17 balls before Santner ended his counterattack.
Tilak and Nitish complete the turnaround
Tilak Varma controlled the chase from No. 6 and finished unbeaten on 51 from 26 balls, with six fours and a six. Nitish Kumar Reddy provided the decisive support, scoring 26 not out from 13 deliveries.
The pair added an unbroken 69 for the seventh wicket and completed the chase from the penultimate delivery. Their stand became India's highest seventh-wicket partnership in men's T20 internationals, surpassing the 63 shared by Dinesh Karthik and Krunal Pandya against New Zealand in 2019.
CricXZ analysis: where the match changed
New Zealand controlled the game through Santner's middle-over spell, but India protected the chase by continuing to attack after losing six wickets. Dhir's three sixes prevented the required rate from climbing beyond reach, while Tilak waited for the final five overs before expanding his scoring zones.
The most important phase came after India fell to 112/6. Tilak and Nitish combined boundary options with aggressive running, forcing New Zealand to defend both sides of the wicket. India scored the remaining 69 runs without losing another wicket, turning a probable defeat into a series-defining victory.
Key performances
- Tilak Varma: 51 not out from 26 balls and Player of the Match.
- Nitish Kumar Reddy: 26 not out from 13 balls.
- Naman Dhir: 31 from 17 balls.
- Mitchell Santner: 4/21 from four overs.
- Glenn Phillips: 70 from 43 balls.
- Bevon Jacobs: 58 from 46 balls.
- Arshdeep Singh: 2/33 from four overs.
India take control of the series
India now lead 2-0 after winning both matches in Christchurch by four wickets. The third T20I will be played in Wellington on 27 October, where India can secure the five-match series with another victory.
Read the second T20I preview for the pre-match injury and selection context, or revisit India's first-T20I victory.
Sources
- ICC: Tilak and Nitish hold their nerve as India take 2-0 lead
- ICC Match Centre: New Zealand vs India, second T20I
- BCCI Match Centre: New Zealand vs India at Christchurch
Scores, award details and key performances were checked against the cited official match centres and report on 25 October 2026.