Chasing a record 226-run target, India’s batters rose to the challenge, with Sanju Samson scoring a half-century and skipper Shreyas Iyer and Naman Dhir providing crucial cameos as the visitors reached the target with two balls to spare. The chase is now India’s highest successful run chase in T20I history, both at home and away, surpassing their previous best of 209, a feat they had achieved two times, all on home soil. The Indian men’s cricket team scripted history at the Hagley Oval on Thursday, defeating New Zealand by four wickets in the opening T20I of the series.
The Indian men’s cricket team scripted history at the Hagley Oval on Thursday, defeating New Zealand by four wickets in the opening T20I of the series.
India’s highest successful chases in T20Is : 230/6 vs New Zealand, Christchurch, 2026 (Target: 226)* 209/8 vs Australia, Visakhapatnam, 2023 209/3 vs New Zealand, Raipur, 2026 208/4 vs West Indies, Hyderabad, 2019 211/4 vs Sri Lanka, Mohali, 2009 (Target: 207) In fact, this was the highest successful chase at the venue in T20 cricket, surpassing Canterbury’s 223/3 against Northern Districts in the 2019-20 Super Smash. India’s chase was also the second-highest successful chase against New Zealand in T20Is, behind Australia’s 245/5 chase of 244 at Auckland in 2018. India scored 94/1 in the powerplay, their highest total after six overs in a T20I away from home. Highest totals in powerplay for India in T20Is: 100/0 vs Afghanistan, Delhi, 2026 95/1 vs England, Mumbai WS, 2025 94/2 vs New Zealand, Guwahati, 2026 94/1 vs New Zealand, Christchurch, 2026 92/0 vs New Zealand, Ahmedabad, T20 World Cup final, 2026 Samson (67 off 33) and Abhishek Sharma (29 off 12) gave India a launching pad in the powerplay before a cluster of wickets briefly stalled the chase. However, Iyer’s 42 off 28 balls and Dhir’s unbeaten 42 off just 15 deliveries, on his first India appearance away from home, helped the visitors overpower the Kiwi bowlers in their own backyard.
