Representative image. Buchi Babu Sana, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Why it matters
India are one win away from taking the five-match series in New Zealand, with three games left. The win came from the lower order after the top six fell for 112, which gives the team management a result to weigh as it settles the batting order, including Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's role at No. 3.
Tilak Varma made 51 not out off 26 balls on Saturday, 24 October 2026, as India came back from 112 for six to beat New Zealand by four wickets in the second T20 International at Hagley Oval, Christchurch. India reached 181 for six with one ball left in the 20th over and now lead the five-match series 2-0.
Nitish Kumar Reddy was with him at the end on 26 not out off 13 balls and hit the winning runs, the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency reported. The two added 69 in 30 balls for the seventh wicket without being separated, according to Cricket World’s scorecard.
How Tilak Varma and Nitish Reddy rescued the chase
India chose to bowl first and needed 181. The chase started quickly, with Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma putting on 40 in 4.4 overs, but New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner then pulled it back with four wickets for 21 runs, PTI reported. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, the 15-year-old batting at No. 3 on his return, made 4 off 8 balls.
Captain Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel fell within two balls of each other, leaving India at 70 for five in the 11th over. Naman Dhir, who finished the first match, hit three sixes in a quick 31 off 17 balls and added 42 with Tilak before he was out in the 15th over at 112 for six.
That is where the match turned. Tilak hit six fours and a six in his innings, PTI said, and 41 of his runs came in the unbroken last stand. Reddy, the all-rounder from Andhra Pradesh, gave him support with a four and a six of his own.
Tilak Varma’s 26 catches: a T20I record for one year
Before he batted, Tilak had already set a fielding record. He caught opener Tim Seifert at cover off Arshdeep Singh and then took Daryl Mitchell off Bhuvneshwar Kumar, the Indo-Asian News Service (IANS) reported. That gave him 26 catches in T20Is in 2026, the most by any fielder in a calendar year.
| Fielder | Team | Year | Catches |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tilak Varma | India | 2026 | 26 |
| Danilson Hawoe | Indonesia | 2025 | 25 |
| Muhammad Waseem | United Arab Emirates | 2024 | 24 |
| Sharvin Muniandy | Malaysia | 2025 | 21 |
He took those 26 catches in 30 innings this year. India vs New Zealand was also a record day for Arshdeep Singh: his two wickets took him to 38 T20I wickets in 2026, the most by an Indian bowler in a calendar year, NDTV Sports reported, citing PTI. The old mark of 37 belonged to Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who played in this match, from 2022.
Phillips and Jacobs built New Zealand’s 180
New Zealand had a poor start. Arshdeep removed Seifert for 7 in the second over, Bhuvneshwar got Mitchell for 6, and Prince Yadav had Finn Allen caught for 16. The hosts were 41 for three in the sixth over.
Glenn Phillips and Bevon Jacobs then added 116 for the fourth wicket. Phillips made 70 off 43 balls with four fours and four sixes, and Jacobs 58 off 46. Arshdeep ended the stand in the 18th over when Dhir caught Phillips, and Reddy removed Jacobs soon after. Michael Bracewell’s late hitting helped New Zealand add 23 runs in the last two overs, PTI said.
Arshdeep finished with two for 33 in four overs. Axar Patel went wicketless but gave away only 28 in his four, while Bhuvneshwar, back in the side, conceded 50 for his one wicket.
What the numbers say about India’s chase
By NewsPlainly’s calculation from the scorecard, India needed 69 runs from the last 31 balls when Dhir was out. That is a required rate of about 13.4 runs an over, against the 9 an over the whole chase needed at the start (181 off 120 balls). Tilak and Reddy scored at 13.8 an over (69 off 30 balls) to get there.
It was the second close finish in two days at the same ground. On 22 October India chased 226 to win the first match by four wickets with two balls left, their highest successful T20I chase, IANS reported, with Dhir making 42 not out off 15 balls.
India vs New Zealand: the rest of the T20I series
India need one more win from three games to take the series. The third T20I is in Wellington on Tuesday, 27 October, the fourth at Eden Park, Auckland, on 30 October, and the fifth in Hamilton on 1 November, all starting at 12.30 pm IST according to the published schedule. Ishan Kishan, who missed this game with an injury, has not been given a return date.
Frequently asked questions
Who won the India vs New Zealand 2nd T20I?
India won by four wickets at Hagley Oval, Christchurch, on 24 October 2026, chasing 181 with one ball to spare.
How many runs did Tilak Varma score?
Tilak Varma scored 51 not out off 26 balls, with six fours and a six.
When is the 3rd T20I between India and New Zealand?
The 3rd T20I is in Wellington on Tuesday, 27 October 2026, starting at 12.30 pm IST.
What record did Tilak Varma set?
He took two catches to reach 26 T20I catches in 2026, the most by a fielder in a single calendar year, passing Indonesia's Danilson Hawoe (25 in 2025).