Who won India vs New Zealand 1st T20I today? — Match result & turning points

India began their final T20I series before the World Cup on a strong note, defeating New Zealand by 48 runs in the first match at Nagpur on January 21. Asked to bat first after Mitchell Santner won the toss, the hosts made full use of the surface to post a mammoth 238/7 in their allotted 20 overs.

After early setbacks with Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan departing early, Abhishek Sharma smashed a brilliant 84 off just 35 balls to put New Zealand under pressure. Suryakumar Yadav, playing his 100th T20I, added 32, while Hardik Pandya chipped in with a quick 25. Rinku Singh then provided the finishing touch, remaining unbeaten on 44 off 20 deliveries to push the Men in Blue past the 230 mark.

Chasing 239, the BlackCaps never fully recovered from losing Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra within the first two overs. Glenn Phillips fought hard with a 78 off 40 balls, supported by Mark Chapman and Daryl Mitchell, but the asking rate kept ticking. Varun Chakravarthy and Shivam Dube picked up two wickets each, while Arshdeep Singh looked lethal with the new ball. New Zealand eventually finished on 190 for 7, handing India a comprehensive 48-run victory.

Top batting performances of the match — Abhishek Sharma

Indian opener Abhishek Sharma was at his absolute best, giving the team a solid start and helping them post a massive total. Opening the innings, the southpaw went after the bowlers from ball one. His 84 off just 35 deliveries saw him play at a strike rate of 240.00. With five boundaries and eight sixes, he dismantled the bowling attack and took the game away inside the first half. 

Top bowling performances of the match — Jacob Duffy

Despite New Zealand ending on the losing end, pacer Jacob Duffy was the most impressive bowler in the series opener. On a night when most bowlers were hammered for runs, Duffy finished with figures of 2 for 27 in four overs at an economy of 6.75. Duffy relied on his variations rather than pace, using the slower off-cutter effectively. His wickets of Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya were important breakthroughs, both coming from well-disguised slower deliveries that forced mishits into the deep.

Records Broken and Major Milestones Achieved

• The India-New Zealand clash produced a combined 428 runs, the highest match aggregate between the two teams in T20Is.

• Since the Asia Cup 2025, India’s fielding unit has maintained a 73.7% catching efficiency, taking 73 catches while dropping 26.

• Rinku Singh has been at his most destructive in the death overs, smashing 213 runs off 74 balls in overs 19-20 at a strike rate of 287.83.

• India’s 200-plus total recorded only the second instance of such a score in Nagpur, after Sri Lanka’s 215/5 against India in 2009.

• India’s total of 238/7 became the third-highest T20I score ever against New Zealand.

• This was India’s 44th 200-plus total in T20Is, the most by any team in the history of the format.

• Abhishek Sharma equalled the record for most sixes in a T20I innings against New Zealand, clearing the ropes eight times in Nagpur.

• The innings also saw Abhishek Sharma complete 5,000 runs in T20 cricket.

• India raced to 117/2 at the halfway mark, the highest 10-over score recorded at this venue across all T20 matches.

• Abhishek Sharma’s 22-ball fifty became the fastest by an Indian against New Zealand in T20Is, breaking a long-standing record.

• Skipper Suryakumar Yadav played his 100th T20I game for India.

Who was the Player of the Match?

Abhishek Sharma was adjudged the Player of the Match for his impressive 84 off just 35 deliveries, during which he not only gave the hosts a solid start and smashed the opposition bowlers all over the ground to guide India’s. The southpaw laced his knock with five boundaries and eight sixes, striking at 240.00. With this knock, he also completed 5,000 runs in T20 cricket.

What is the next match?

India will take on New Zealand in the second T20I of the five-match series on Friday, January 23, in the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur.