Confirmed, from the ESPNcricinfo full scorecard: India beat New Zealand by four wickets, with one ball remaining, in the 2nd T20I at Hagley Oval, Christchurch, on 24 October 2026. New Zealand made 180 for 5 in 20 overs after India won the toss and chose to field first. India replied with 181 for 6 in 19.5 overs. Tilak Varma finished unbeaten on 51 from 26 balls and was named player of the match. This article explains that T20I result, the chase, and what it meant for the series. The dates and venues for the rest of the tour, set out below, were re-checked on 1 November 2026 against New Zealand Cricket’s schedule announcement and reporting of the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s squad announcement.
The result is no longer the latest word on the series. When the match was played, it put India 2–0 ahead in a five-match series. India then won the third match to seal the series, and New Zealand won the last two matches, in Auckland and Hamilton, to finish the series 3–2 to India. It was the match that made the series safe for India with three matches still to play.
For the full tour schedule, see the India tour of New Zealand 2026 schedule explainer.
India beat New Zealand 4 wickets T20I October 2026 explained
A Twenty20 International, shortened to T20I, gives each team a maximum of 20 overs, with six balls in an over, to score as many runs as possible. The team batting second knows exactly how many runs it needs, and “won by four wickets” describes how much batting resource was left when the target was reached. A team has ten wickets. India lost six, so four wickets remained unused when the winning run was scored. “With one ball remaining” means the chase was completed on the fifth ball of the twentieth over: a narrow finish, even though four wickets in hand sounds comfortable, because India were in deep trouble midway through the chase and recovered late.
The toss shaped the match without deciding it on its own. India won the toss and elected to field first, so New Zealand batted first and set the target, and India chased under lights at Hagley Oval in a night match scheduled to start at 20:00 local time. A target of 181 in 20 overs requires 9.05 runs per over, a demanding rate even on a good batting surface. India finished at 9.12 runs per over, which shows how little slack there was.
New Zealand’s innings: a slow start, then Phillips and Jacobs took over
New Zealand’s innings fell into two parts: first, a struggle. Tim Seifert was caught by Tilak Varma off Arshdeep Singh for 7, Daryl Mitchell was caught by Tilak Varma off Bhuvneshwar Kumar for 6, and Finn Allen was bowled by Prince Yadav for 16. New Zealand were 41 for 3 after 5.2 overs, and only 43 for 3 at the end of the six-over powerplay. At the drinks break, after ten overs, they were 66 for 3, with Glenn Phillips on 15 and Bevon Jacobs on 19.
The second part changed the match. Phillips and Jacobs added a century partnership for the fourth wicket, taking the score from 41 for 3 to 157 for 4. Phillips finished with 70 from 43 balls, with four fours and four sixes, reaching his fifty from 33 balls. Jacobs finished with 58 from 46 balls, with five fours and one six, reaching his fifty from 40 balls. New Zealand reached 100 in 13.4 overs and 150 in 17.3 overs. Both set batters were dismissed late, but the damage had been done. Captain Mitchell Santner finished unbeaten on 4 and Michael Bracewell unbeaten on 10 from just two balls, and New Zealand closed on 180 for 5.
India’s bowling figures show why the total still felt gettable. Arshdeep Singh took 2 for 33 from four overs. Axar Patel took no wicket for 28 from four overs. Prince Yadav took 1 for 30, Nitish Kumar Reddy took 1 for 31 from three overs, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar took 1 for 50 from four overs. India took three early wickets, and that early damage meant New Zealand had to rebuild before they could attack.
India’s chase: 70 for 5, then Tilak Varma turned it around
India’s chase began steadily, collapsed in the middle, and then recovered with unusual calm. Sanju Samson made 14 from 17 balls before being caught off Jacob Duffy. Abhishek Sharma made 27 from 21 balls. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi made 4 from 8 balls. The middle order then fell quickly to New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner, whose left-arm spin produced the decisive spell of the match. Santner dismissed Abhishek Sharma, bowled captain Shreyas Iyer for 7, and then removed Axar Patel for 11 through a relay catch on the boundary involving Finn Allen and Daryl Mitchell. India were 69 for 4 after 10.3 overs and 70 for 5 after 10.5 overs. With half the innings gone and half the wickets down, India needed 111 runs from 55 balls.
Tilak Varma, who had already taken two catches, then played the innings of the match. He reached his fifty from 25 balls and finished unbeaten on 51 from 26 balls, with six fours and one six, at a strike rate of 196.15. Naman Dhir supported him with 31 from 17 balls, including three sixes, before falling to Santner, who finished with 4 for 21 from four overs. That left India at 112 for 6 after 14.5 overs, still needing 69 runs. Nitish Kumar Reddy then joined Tilak Varma and the pair added the remaining runs without losing another wicket. Reddy finished unbeaten on 26 from 13 balls, and India completed the chase with one ball to spare.
Santner’s 4 for 21 was exceptional, and Matt Henry conceded only 11 runs from two overs, including a maiden. The rest of the attack was expensive under late pressure: Jacob Duffy took 1 for 41, Lockie Ferguson conceded 37 from three overs, Michael Bracewell conceded 35 from four overs, and Nathan Smith took 1 for 34 from three overs. The ESPNcricinfo match report also recorded that New Zealand’s fielding reprieved India batters during the chase. The scorecard alone does not record dropped catches, so this article does not turn that reporting into a counted figure.
What the result meant, and what happened next in the series
At the time, the win gave India a 2–0 lead in the five-match series, following a still more dramatic win in the first T20I at the same ground two days earlier. In that opening match, on 22 October, New Zealand made 225 for 4 and India replied with 230 for 6 in 19.4 overs to win by four wickets. The two Christchurch matches shared a pattern: high totals, India chasing, and a four-wicket margin.
The series did not stay at 2–0. In the third T20I, at Wellington on 27 October, New Zealand made 198 for 3 and India replied with 199 for 4 in only 13.2 overs to win by six wickets, sealing the series with two matches still to play. The fourth T20I, at Eden Park in Auckland on 30 October, then reversed the pattern completely. According to the ESPNcricinfo match report, New Zealand made 259 for 7, with Glenn Phillips scoring 107 from 49 balls and Michael Bracewell 65 from 25, and India were held to 172 for 9, losing by 87 runs. That result made the series score 3–1 to India going into the fifth and final T20I at Seddon Park, Hamilton, on 1 November, which New Zealand won by seven wickets: India made 191 for 8, and New Zealand replied with 195 for 3 in 18 overs, with Tim Seifert scoring 93 from 50 balls and Glenn Phillips finishing unbeaten on 65 from 38. India therefore won the five-match series 3–2.
| Match | Date (2026) | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st T20I | 22 October | Hagley Oval, Christchurch | India won by 4 wickets (NZ 225/4; IND 230/6 in 19.4 overs) |
| 2nd T20I | 24 October | Hagley Oval, Christchurch | India won by 4 wickets, 1 ball left (NZ 180/5; IND 181/6 in 19.5 overs) |
| 3rd T20I | 27 October | Wellington | India won by 6 wickets (NZ 198/3; IND 199/4 in 13.2 overs) |
| 4th T20I | 30 October | Eden Park, Auckland | New Zealand won by 87 runs (NZ 259/7; IND 172/9) |
| 5th T20I | 1 November | Seddon Park, Hamilton | New Zealand won by 7 wickets (IND 191/8; NZ 195/3 in 18 overs) |
What to watch next: the rest of a long tour
The T20I series is only the first part of a 12-match tour running from 22 October to 1 December 2026, covering five T20Is, five one-day internationals and two Tests. The remaining fixtures are: ODIs on 4 November at Eden Park, Auckland, 7 November at Wellington, 10 November at Seddon Park, Hamilton, and 13 and 15 November at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui; then two Tests, the first at Wellington from 19 to 23 November and the second at Christchurch from 27 November to 1 December. Shubman Gill captains India in the first three ODIs and the Tests, Shreyas Iyer captains the final two ODIs, and Mitchell Santner captains New Zealand in the ODI series.
For India, the Christchurch match showed batting depth — Tilak Varma and Nitish Kumar Reddy winning a chase from 70 for 5 — and vulnerability to a controlled spinner, in Santner’s 4 for 21.
Frequently asked questions
What was the score in the India vs New Zealand 2nd T20I in October 2026?
New Zealand scored 180 for 5 in 20 overs at Hagley Oval, Christchurch, on 24 October 2026. India replied with 181 for 6 in 19.5 overs and won by four wickets, with one ball remaining. Glenn Phillips top-scored for New Zealand with 70, and Tilak Varma top-scored for India with an unbeaten 51.
Who won the toss in the 2nd T20I at Christchurch?
India won the toss and elected to field first, according to the ESPNcricinfo full scorecard.
Who was player of the match in the 2nd T20I?
Tilak Varma was named player of the match. He scored an unbeaten 51 from 26 balls and took two catches; Mitchell Santner took 4 for 21 for New Zealand.
What was the series score after the 2nd T20I, and what happened afterwards?
India led 2–0 after the second T20I, won the third in Wellington to lead 3–0, and New Zealand won the fourth in Auckland by 87 runs and the fifth in Hamilton by seven wickets. India won the five-match series 3–2.
Updated: 1 November 2026. India won the five-match T20I series 3–2 after New Zealand won the 5th T20I on 1 November 2026. The ODI and Test dates were re-checked on 1 November 2026.
SOURCES
- ESPNcricinfo, “2nd T20I at Christchurch — Full Scorecard” — https://www.cricinfo.com/series/india-in-new-zealand-2026-27-1539421/new-zealand-vs-india-2nd-t20i-1539433/full-scorecard
- ESPNcricinfo, “2nd T20I Match Report, October 24, 2026” — https://www.cricinfo.com/series/india-in-new-zealand-2026-27-1539421/new-zealand-vs-india-2nd-t20i-1539433/match-report
- ESPNcricinfo, “4th T20I Match Report, October 30, 2026” — https://www.cricinfo.com/series/india-in-new-zealand-2026-27-1539421/new-zealand-vs-india-4th-t20i-1539435/match-report
- CricTracker, “NZ vs IND 2026 Results” — https://www.crictracker.com:443/live-scores/nz-vs-ind-1st-t20i-india-tour-of-new-zealand-22-oct-2026/results/
- CricRadar, “India Tour of New Zealand 2026-27: Full Schedule” — https://www.cricradar.in/news/india-tour-of-new-zealand-2026-27-full-schedule-squads-and-match-timings
- ESPNcricinfo, “3rd T20I at Wellington — Full Scorecard” — https://www.cricinfo.com/series/india-in-new-zealand-2026-27-1539421/new-zealand-vs-india-3rd-t20i-1539434/full-scorecard
- Cricbuzz, “5th T20I at Hamilton — Full Scorecard” (opened directly, 1 November 2026) — https://www.cricbuzz.com/live-cricket-scorecard/161234/india-tour-of-new-zealand-2026-5th-t20i
- New Zealand Cricket, “Historic India Mega-Tour Headlines International Home Schedule” (tour dates, Test dates and venues) — https://www.nzc.nz/news-items/historic-india-mega-tour-headlines-international-home-schedule/
- New Zealand Cricket, “Allen, Ferguson & Seifert make ODI comeback | Ravindra returns” (ODI series from 4 November at Eden Park; Santner to captain) — https://www.nzc.nz/allen-ferguson-seifert-make-odi-comeback-ravindra-returns/
- Reporting of the BCCI squad announcement (ODI dates, venues and Gill/Iyer captaincy) — https://thesbharat.com/bcci-announces-two-odi-squads-and-test-team-for-new-zealand-tour-shreyas-iyer-to-lead-final-two-odis/11623/
