Christchurch: Tilak Varma hit an unbeaten 51 off 26 balls as India came back from 70 for five to win the India vs New Zealand second T20I by four wickets at Hagley Oval on Saturday, 24 October 2026. Chasing 181, India got home with one ball to spare and now lead the five match series by two matches to nil, cricket.com.au reported.
The win was also a milestone. It was India’s 200th victory in T20 internationals, achieved in their 300th match in the format, according to Olympics.com. Only Pakistan, with 304 matches, have played more.
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Phillips and Jacobs rebuild New Zealand
New Zealand were in trouble early. Arshdeep Singh had Tim Seifert caught by Tilak at cover for 7, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar then had Daryl Mitchell caught by the same fielder for 6, his first T20I wicket in nearly four years, Olympics.com said. Prince Yadav bowled Finn Allen for 16 in the last over of the powerplay, and New Zealand had slipped to 41 for three.
Glenn Phillips and Bevon Jacobs then turned the innings around with a stand of 116 for the fourth wicket. Phillips made 70 off 43 balls with four fours and four sixes, his second fifty in a row, before Arshdeep had him caught by Naman Dhir near the rope in the 18th over. Jacobs reached his fifty in 46 balls and made 58 before holing out to Axar Patel off Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Michael Bracewell hit 10 off two balls to lift New Zealand to 180 for five.
Arshdeep finished with two for 33. That took him to 38 T20I wickets in 2026, the most by any Indian bowler in a calendar year, beating the 37 that Bhuvneshwar took in 2022, Olympics.com reported.
Santner spins India into trouble
The pitch looked slower than in Thursday’s high scoring opener, and India’s reply began badly. Sanju Samson played out a maiden in the first over and then edged a slower ball from Jacob Duffy to point for 14. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, batting at three in place of the injured Ishan Kishan, made only 4 before falling to Nathan Smith.
New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner then took control with his left arm spin. He removed Abhishek Sharma for 27, shortly after the opener had passed 1,000 T20I runs in 2026, and bowled India captain Shreyas Iyer for 7 with a flighted delivery. Two balls later Axar Patel went for 11 when Finn Allen took a superb relay catch at long on, leaping to hold the ball over his shoulder and tossing it to Mitchell before landing over the rope, cricket.com.au said. India were 70 for five.
Naman Dhir, who had helped close out the chase in the first match, struck three sixes in a quick 31 off 17 balls. Santner had him caught at extra cover as well, leaving India at 112 for six in the 15th over. Santner finished with four for 21 from his four overs, and India needed 68 from the last five overs.
Tilak Varma and Nitish Kumar Reddy finish the job
Tilak, batting at number six, and Reddy then added an unbroken 69 off 30 balls for the seventh wicket. With 29 needed from the last 12 balls, Tilak took Nathan Smith apart in the 19th over with three fours and a six. He hit Duffy for four off the second ball of the final over, and Reddy finished the chase with a shot down to mid on. Tilak’s fifty came off 25 balls, while Reddy ended on 26 not out.
Hindustan Times noted how differently Tilak played compared with the first match, where he made only 6 off 11 balls against spin. This time he survived the early phase and waited for the bowlers he wanted to attack. “I wanted to take the game as deep as possible,” he said at the presentation, according to the paper.
Named player of the match, Tilak also had a light word for his partner, who like him comes from Hyderabad. “The Hyderabadi boys were in play today,” he said, cricket.com.au reported.
What the result means for the series
India have now won both matches at Hagley Oval after chasing big totals. In the first T20I on Thursday they chased down 226, and on Saturday they showed they could also win a low scoring, slower contest from a difficult position. The depth of the batting order, with Dhir, Tilak and Reddy all making a difference from the middle and lower order, has been a key theme of the tour so far.
For New Zealand, the bowling of Santner and the partnership between Phillips and Jacobs were positives, but they have now lost two close matches at home. The hosts will need changes at the death, where India scored freely in the final three overs.
The third match will be played in Wellington on Tuesday, 27 October, and a win there would give India the series with two games to spare.
India vs New Zealand second T20I brief scores
New Zealand 180 for five in 20 overs (Glenn Phillips 70, Bevon Jacobs 58; Arshdeep Singh 2 for 33) lost to India 181 for six in 19.5 overs (Tilak Varma 51 not out, Naman Dhir 31, Nitish Kumar Reddy 26 not out; Mitchell Santner 4 for 21) by four wickets.
Bharat Stories has more cricket coverage. Read how India chased 226 to win the first T20I in Christchurch, see the India squads for the New Zealand tour, and explore the history of cricket in India.
Featured image photo: Michal Klajban, CC BY SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (Hagley Oval, Christchurch).
FAQ
Who won the second T20I between India and New Zealand?
India won by four wickets with one ball to spare at Hagley Oval, Christchurch, on 24 October 2026.
Who was player of the match?
Tilak Varma, for his unbeaten 51 off 26 balls.
When and where is the third T20I?
In Wellington on Tuesday, 27 October 2026.
Sources
- cricket.com.au (Reuters), 24 October 2026: match report, Santner spell, Tilak quote and final overs.
- Olympics.com, 24 October 2026: 200th T20I win, wickets by over, Arshdeep record and brief scores.
- Hindustan Times, 25 October 2026: analysis of Tilak’s innings and his post match quote.