The opening T20I of the five-match series between New Zealand and India took place on October 22, 2026, at Hagley Oval in Christchurch. This marked the beginning of a long, demanding tour for India, which also includes five ODIs and two Test matches.
Shreyas Iyer won the toss and elected to bowl first. Finn Allen struck 45 off 24 balls, while Tim Siefert scored 24 from 17 balls. However, it was Glenn Phillips' explosive innings of 82* off 40 balls, featuring 8 fours and 3 sixes, along with Bevon Jacob's 31 runs off 16 balls, that drove New Zealand to 225/4 in 20 overs.
Sanju Samson led the Indian charge with a brilliant 67 off 33 balls with 8 fours and 4 sixes, while Abhishek Sharma made 29 off 12 balls and added 93 runs for the opening wicket. However, India lost two quick wickets in Tilak Varma (9) and Ishan Kishan (1).
But then Captain Shreyas Iyer (42) and Axar Patel (24) put India back on track before Naman Dhir’s 15-ball 42* powered India to the win in the final over with 4 wickets in hand. This was also India’s highest successful run chase in T20Is, as the Men in Blue went 1-0 in a five-match series.
Sanju Samson was named the Player of the Match for his brilliant fifty, and he stated that he felt very good to end up on the winning side.
“It feels really good. I think, yes, we are just in the moment where the match has been won. Whatever contribution you make, I think it feels good to end up on the winning side. So, it's a really great contribution from all of us in the team. So, it was completely a team game today. So really happy that we started off nicely for the series,” Samson said at the post-match presentation, as quoted by Cricbuzz.
Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson’s opening partnership has been top class since the T20 World Cup 2026 win.
“We do have a lot of conversations happening in the middle, but nothing makes sense, actually. We just watch the ball and hit hard. It has been working very well for us, and I like batting with him at the top. [On the pitch and the movement of the ball] The ball was swinging around a lot, I think in the second half, a bit too much, actually. But off the surface it was coming on very nicely. So, I think I and Abhi just felt like keeping the shape and having a very positive intent in the power play. Once we got off to a flying start, we felt the match could be finished in the first half as well. Six overs, 90-odd runs—that was a great start today. So, I think we just wanted to go all out,” Samson stated.
Samson has also kept wickets for India in T20Is, despite the presence of Ishan Kishan in the playing XI. He revealed that keeping wickets helps him assess the surface and conditions better, which later helps him in the way he approaches his batting.
“Absolutely, you definitely think about your batting while you are keeping wickets. But I think today I summed up my way to play the game while keeping, but when I came to bat, it was completely different. In the first half, the ball was stopping a bit from the length area, but in the second half, I think the ball was coming on very nicely with heavy dew in the outfield. So I really enjoyed the batting,” he stated.
The two sides will clash in the second T20I of the series at the same venue in Christchurch on Saturday, October 24.
