IND vs NZ 1st T20I Highlights: India register comfortable win as New Zealand look unprepared

India defeated New Zealand by 48 runs in the first T20I of the series in Nagpur. Shivam Dube claimed two wickets in the final over to put the final nail in the coffin. It's a huge statement win for India, especially after the ODI series defeat. 

Kishan drops what should have been a comfortable catch at square leg. Mitchell holed this out to deep square but Kishan spills this out. India on course to win this.

Axar with a bit of an injury here, as this one from Mitchell hits his hand as it flies for the four. He is bleeding and walks off. Abhishek Sharma to complete the over.

Another one down as New Zealand go five down. Varun dismisses Chapman, who mistimes this to long-on and has been dismissed for 39. NZ 143/5 after 14.5.

And that would be the end of Glenn Phillips. A brilliant knock from the all-rounder as he made 78 from 40 balls but has gone trying one too many here. He hit a four and six off Axar and wanted another one but hits this to long-on. NZ 131/4 after 13.3. They need 108 from 39 balls.

This is very tall task but Phillips and Chapman are giving it a go. The two have put up a stand of 68 from 37 balls and it is going on. 

Phillips gets to his fifty here. While this has been a low-show from the New Zealand batters, Phillips is putting in the hard yards.

They have burnt one in the first over when Arshdeep hit Robinson's pad and they have now burnt their other review as well. Seems that Samson wanted to review this caught behind. Axar, the bowler, was not confident. SKY took it but as it turned out, there was nothing on the bat or glove as Chapman looked to pull this.

Another one gone. New Zealand were just beginning to go, but have now lost Robinson here. Varun Chakaravarthy comes to bowl his first over and strikes. The batter came down the track and wanted to go over mid-wicket, but has mistimed this to mid-wicket, where Dube takes an easy one.

Do you know India's only hat-trick in T20Is came at this very venue. Deepak Chahar took that against Bangladesh in 2019.

India are on a roll here in the second innings as Hardik Pandya opens his account. A bit of seam movement as Rachin edges this behind, trying to charge down the track. Abhishek takes this at first slip. NZ 1/2 after 1.3.

What a catch that from Samson. What a start for India. They nailed things with the bat and have now struck with the second ball. Arshdeep with the wicket. A hint of swing away from the left-hander Conway as he pokes at it and is caught by a diving Samson to his left. 

India have registered their highest score against New Zealand in T20I cricket. Their previous highest score against the Kiwis was 234/4, which they made in February 2023 in Ahmedabad. Abhishek Sharma put up a blistering show as he made 84 from 35 balls. Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav also had their share of moments, while Rinku Singh ended very wel with his 44 from 20 balls. 21 runs from the final over as India end on 238/7.

India gave gone past 200 now. Rinku Singn is keeping the scoring rate up. India breach 200 in the 18th over. 

And now Hardik Pandya departs as well. He looked to keep the scoring rate up and wanted to go big once again but has been caught at deep mid-wicket. Hardik gone for 25, India 185/6 after 15.4.

We are now into the final five overs as Hardik Pandya is going extremely strong here. Rinku Singh is not getting much strike. India are at 182/5 after 15 overs.

Dube begin well and struck a six on his second ball but he has been dismissed caught and bowled now. A soft dismissal for Dube as he walks back for 9 from 4 balls. India 166/5 after 13.4.

Abhishek's brilliant knock comes to an end. This was a jaw-dropping knock but it ends. He goes back after making 84. 

Surya has been dismissed here by Santner. He looked to go down the ground, but mistimed this as Robinson took this at long-on.

India are on their path towards a big score. They have put 117/2 in 10 overs. This stand has now been of 90 runs off 43 balls. Abhishek is on 60 from 28 balls, Surya is finally finding form and is on 31 from 20 balls.

Abhishek Sharma has brought up a blistering fifty here in the first match. A half century off just 22 balls. Phillips has been brought into the attack, and Abhishek hits him for three consecutive fours. Two of them come as Kristian Clarke misfields twice at the cover boundary. 

Suryakumar Yadav is having a go here. This is what he needs, this is what India need. A brilliant pick-up six over square leg as SKY keeps going in the start. Abhishek slammed a big one over cover as he made room to middle it over cover. India 68/2 after 6.

Abhishek is unleashing his carnage here. Two sixes off Jamieson in the fifth over as India cross 50. The first was off a leg-cutter straight down the ground. The second was pulled towards deep mid-wicket. India 54/2 after 5.

SKY is up and running with his drive through the covers on the first ball. A back-of-a-length ball as he stays tall and creames this. Another four for the Indian captain, this time on his fourth ball. This was a fuller one as Surya drove this in the same region. India 38/2 after 4.

Just like Samson, Kishan looked to go big right from the start. He got a couple of boundaries, one straight down the ground and then a pulled one at mid-wicket. But he slices this to cover and is gone. 

Samson pulled Kyle Jamieson for some strong fours here in the second over. One near square leg and then near deep mid-wicket but he falls, trying to flick this one. 

That's the way he plays. He knows only one way. Abhishek was looking for a hit ever since Samson gave him the strike off a leg bye and Abhishek slams a straight hit down the ground for the first six of the match. India 8/0 after 1.

And here are the Indian openers out in the middle. Sanju Samson returns at the top with Abhishek Sharma. He will be taking strike as Jacob Duffy will be starting for New Zealand. Here we go.

The anthems are done. New Zealand's national anthem was followed by the Indian anthem. Now it's time for the action as the Indian batters will walk out into the middle.

"It's the start of the T20I series, first of the five games being played at a venue which has hosted the most number of T20Is in India. We are right at the centre of the playing area, 66 metres on either side, straight down it's 76 metres. The square was relayed in 2024 and this is the first T20I since. Looking at the numbers from the past, pretty low-scoring, not an easy surface to bat on. First and foremost, I think they've done a great job relaying the surface. The grass covering all around the block is fantastic. What he's done with this particular pitch, it's about 3 to 4 mils we were just both getting to the head curator here. He left about 3 to 4 mils but there's a lot of cracks in and around it. And when I went down on it earlier, it's just a little bit soft underneath still, I think. I think it'll be quite low and quite slow. I don't think it'll be a really high-scoring affair. There are runs around with a good outfield and it'll come onto the bat just medium to slow pace, I think so. I don't think it's going to be easy from a seamer's point of view, just about nice straight lines and length. But the last time New Zealand were here, it actually turned quite a bit. Yes. I'm not going to see too much turn tonight. Maybe early while it's a bit damp, I think. It's not as firm as we usually see in T20I pitches. All these cracks are kind of wide. They're not thin those cracks. So with wider cracks, every time the ball lands on those cracks, chances are it'll do a little bit and the edges might start breaking. So it might be a high-scoring pitch like 220 to 230. I don't think that's the case," Deep Dasgupta and Simon Doull in their pitch report.

Suryakumar Yadav's form is a major one that needs to be fixed. Eyes will be glued on the opening combination of Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson as they rejoin hands after Shubman Gill was tried at the top. Crucial to see how their partnership works. Eyes will also be on the crucial spin department, with Kuldeep Yadav coming into the series after going for runs in the ODIs. India will hope to tick these boxes before the World Cup kicks in.

India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav is featuring in his 100th T20I match. He is just the fourth Indian to reach the mark after Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya. Will he able to get a big score in his milestone game? We will find that out soon.

Tim Robinson, Devon Conway(w), Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner(c), Kristian Clarke, Kyle Jamieson, Ish Sodhi, Jacob Duffy

Pretty strong batting line-up for India in their first T20I against New Zealand:

Sanju Samson(w), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah

"We were looking to bowl first because we felt there was dew around 8.30 during our practice. But we don't mind putting runs on the board and we have done well batting first. Shreyas, Harshit, Bishnoi and Kuldeep are the ones who are missing out," SKY said at the toss.

We are going to bowl first. Looks like a pretty good wicket and looks pretty high-scoring. Last week was pretty special. Every team knows how hard it is to come to India and won but this is a fresh series and they are a tough team in home conditions. Great start for us in terms of prep for the World Cup. Three seamers. Clarke makes his debut, Jamieson and Duffy are playing as well.

New Zealand have won the toss and they have opted to bowl first. Clarke will be making his debut for them.

This means Shreyas Iyer is set to miss the series opener as Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson would be opening with Suryakumar at No.4 Shreyas has come into the squad for the first three matches in place of the injured Tilak Varma.

Ishan Kishan is set to return back to the Indian team after being out for 26 months. He last played for India in November 2023 against Australia. He will be batting at No.3, as confirmed by captain Suryakumar Yadav.

Hello and welcome to the live coverage between India and New Zealand for the first T20I at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur. The teams enter their final T20I assignment before the start of the T20 World Cup 2026 from February 7. India will be looking to tick some last-minute boxes as the World Cup defence sits on the horizon.