India Wins T20 Series 3-2 Against New Zealand After Losing Final Match by Seven Wickets

New Zealand beat India by seven wickets in the fifth and final T20 international at Seddon Park in Hamilton on 1 November 2026, but India took the five-match series 3-2. The hosts reached 195 for 3 in 18 overs after India posted 191 for 8. Tim Seifert made 93 from 50 balls. Glenn Phillips remained not out on 65 from 38 balls and closed the chase with a boundary.

India had led 3-0 after the first three matches. New Zealand won the fourth by 87 runs and the fifth to reduce the margin. Seifert and Phillips added 86 for the third wicket. Seifert looked set for a century before he chopped a delivery from Nitish Kumar Reddy onto his stumps with 24 runs still needed. Phillips then took charge and finished the job. Daryl Mitchell had earlier contributed 29 from 16 balls in a 73-run second-wicket stand with Seifert.

India’s innings began with early losses. Adam Milne removed Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson in the powerplay and finished with 4 for 19 from four overs. Ishan Kishan scored 61 from 32 balls with five fours and five sixes. Captain Shreyas Iyer made 50 from 23 balls. The pair put on 93 in 43 balls. Later batters managed only 80 runs in the final ten overs. Nathan Smith took 2 for 28 in three overs. Blair Tickner also claimed two wickets.

Phillips scored four fifties in the series and finished with 341 runs at an average of 113.66. He was named player of the series. Adam Milne was player of the match for his bowling. India won the first match in Christchurch by four wickets while chasing 226, the second by four wickets, and the third by six wickets in 13.2 overs. The fourth went to New Zealand after they posted 259 for 7 and restricted India to 172 for 9.

Mitchell Santner won the toss and chose to field. India left out Axar Patel and Mayank Yadav for the final game and brought in Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Varun Chakravarthy. New Zealand replaced Matt Fisher with Blair Tickner. The series formed part of India’s tour of New Zealand in the 2026-27 season. India now moves on with the series win despite the loss in the dead rubber.

Seifert’s 93 included 11 fours and five sixes. Phillips hit eight fours and three sixes in his unbeaten knock. India’s total of 191 proved short once the top order failed to capitalize on the Kishan-Iyer stand. The result gives New Zealand two consolation victories after a 0-3 start and ends the bilateral T20 series.