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India vs New Zealand, NZ in IND, 5 T20Is, 2026 Jan 23 Full score card

Result Share

2nd T20I, Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur, 23 Jan, 2026

New Zealand

NZ

208/6

(20.0) ov

India

IND

209/3

(15.2) ov

India beat New Zealand by 7 wickets

Player Of The Match

Ishan Kishan,
India
India
Scorecard
Summary
Commentary
News
India
New Zealand
Batter R B 4s 6s SR
S Samson

c R Ravindra b M Henry

6 5 0 1 120
A Sharma

c D Conway b J Duffy

0 1 0 0 0
I Kishan

c M Henry b I Sodhi

76 32 11 4 237.50
S Yadav

not out

82 37 9 4 221.62
S Dube

not out

36 18 1 3 200
Extras

(b 0,lb 0,w 8,nb 1,Penalty 0)

9
Total 15.2 (RR: 13.63)
209/3

Did not bat: H Pandya, R Singh, H Rana, A Singh, K Yadav, V Chakaravarthy

Fall of wickets:

(S Samson, 0.5 ov) (A Sharma, 1.1 ov) (I Kishan, 9.1 ov)
Bowler O M R W ER
M Henry
3 0 41 1 13.66
J Duffy
4 0 38 1 9.50
Z Foulkes
3 0 67 0 22.33
M Santner
2 0 27 0 13.50
I Sodhi
3 0 34 1 11.33
D Mitchell
0.2 0 2 0 6.00
Batter R B 4s 6s SR
D Conway

c H Pandya b H Rana

19 9 3 1 211.11
T Seifert

c I Kishan b V Chakaravarthy

24 13 5 0 184.61
R Ravindra

c A Singh b K Yadav

44 26 2 4 169.23
G Phillips

c H Pandya b K Yadav

19 13 2 1 146.15
D Mitchell

c H Pandya b S Dube

18 11 3 0 163.63
M Chapman

c A Sharma b H Pandya

10 13 0 0 76.92
M Santner

not out

47 27 6 1 174.07
Z Foulkes

not out

15 8 2 1 187.50
Extras

(b 4,lb 2,w 6,nb 0,Penalty 0)

12
Total 20.0 (RR: 10.40)
208/6

Did not bat: M Henry, I Sodhi, J Duffy

Fall of wickets:

(D Conway, 3.2 ov) (T Seifert, 4.2 ov) (G Phillips, 8.5 ov) (D Mitchell, 11.3 ov) (R Ravindra, 12.3 ov) (M Chapman, 16.5 ov)
Bowler O M R W ER
A Singh
4 0 53 0 13.25
H Pandya
3 0 25 1 8.33
H Rana
3 1 35 1 11.66
V Chakaravarthy
4 0 35 1 8.75
K Yadav
4 0 35 2 8.75
A Sharma
1 0 12 0 12.00
S Dube
1 0 7 1 7.00
India
New Zealand

India • 209/3 (15.2 overs)

S Yadav 82 (37)

I Kishan 76 (32)

J Duffy 1/38 (4)

I Sodhi 1/34 (3)

New Zealand • 208/6 (20.0 overs)

M Santner 47 (27)

R Ravindra 44 (26)

K Yadav 2/35 (4)

S Dube 1/7 (1)

Commentary

Signing off! That brings us to the end of this run-fest in Raipur, where India made it 2-0 with a chasing masterclass. Next, we shift our focus to Guwahati and the Barsapara Stadium for the third T20I of this five-match series on Sunday, 25th January, with India looking to seal the series and New Zealand needing a win to stay alive. The game will begin at 1.30 pm GMT (7 pm IST), but as always, you can join us early for all the build-up and coverage. For now, thanks for your company, take care, and we will see you at the next one.

Player of the match Ishan Kishan (76 off 32 balls) says his focus was firmly on what he needed to do and that he was in a good headspace for this game. He feels that at times, you simply know when you are batting well, and it was about watching the ball closely and playing good cricket shots. Chasing 209, Ishan acknowledges the importance of getting a solid start in the Powerplay. Mentions that he was able to connect well from the start and he backed himself. Ishan also highlights the importance of domestic cricket in earning his way back into the national side. He adds that when he was out of the national side, he kept asking himself if he could do it again.

The victorious skipper of India Suryakumar Yadav jokingly says that he does not know what Kishan had for lunch. Adds that he has never seen someone bat like that after being 6/2, and then end the Powerplay at around 70. Mentions that they want their batters to play like that and express themselves out there. Tells that he got angry as Kishan did not give him the strike in the Powerplay, but he got to assess the conditions. Says that he has been batting really well in the nets and had a good practice and a break before this game. Credits all his bowlers for the way they pulled things back, as at one point he thought they could be chasing 230-odd runs. Ends by saying that the mood in the camp is really good, and he is enjoying it and wants to keep it in that space.

New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner reflects on the defeat. Asked how much is enough against this Indian side, he cheekily responds that maybe even 300 might not be enough against these guys. Santner says when you come up against a side that bats deep on a good wicket and with the way India came out, it becomes all about trying to squeeze wherever possible. He admits they know that 200 or 210 is unlikely to be enough and that his side needs to go harder with the bat to stay competitive. Santner also points out that some players are yet to come into the side and stresses the importance of keeping the group fresh with the World Cup in mind. He feels games like these are good learning experiences for the team. He further says that it was a very good wicket with a quick outfield, and cheekily adds that he needed to cash in with the bat as he had to bowl later on this wicket.

Presentation Time...

Shivam Dube has a quick chat. He praises the batting from Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav, calling it an amazing effort. Dube says Ishan played exactly what the team required, adding that while it was Abhishek Sharma who stepped up in the previous game, today it was Ishan who led the way. Talking about the mood in the camp after losing two early wickets, Dube jokes that he just told the physio to mobilise his back and shares that the atmosphere in the dressing room was pretty calm. Tells that they knew how the wicket was behaving here and says the belief in the group is strong, with every player having the ability to finish games. When asked about his promotion, he replies that it just depends on the situation. Mentions that the move was probably down to the left-right combination, with Ishan and Suryakumar at the crease and Hardik and himself next in. Tells that he is not really sure what a good total is on such surfaces, but the key to defending the totals is to pick early wickets and bowl well in the Powerplay.

One over that turned the tide! New Zealand will feel they missed a big opportunity after having the hosts where they wanted, with Henry and Duffy striking early. However, once Santner handed the third over to Foulkes, the momentum completely shifted as he was taken for 24 runs, and the Kiwis never really found a way back into the contest. Foulkes could not recover and ended up conceding 67 runs from his three overs. Sodhi did manage to pick up a wicket in the middle, but by then the damage had already been done. A few uncharacteristic dropped chances further summed up their night, showing just how much pressure they were under, and the wet conditions only added to their woes as they suffered a heavy defeat.

New Zealand's batting! Earlier in the game, after being asked to bat first, New Zealand posted a big total, although they might feel they left a few runs behind in the middle overs, given the strong start they made. They played with intent throughout despite losing wickets, with most batters getting starts, but the standout contributions came from Ravindra’s 44 off 26 and Santner’s unbeaten 47 off 27, which gave their bowlers a solid cushion in wet conditions. For India, Kuldeep and Varun slowed the scoring by sharing three wickets, while Pandya, Rana and Dube chipped in with one each, and although Arshdeep had a rare off day up front, he did pull things back a bit at the death.

Kishan and SKY power record chase! The big question was whether India could maintain their aggressive approach if Abhishek Sharma failed, and that was answered emphatically in this chase. After both openers were dismissed and India slipped to 6/2, Ishan Kishan continued his fine domestic form and launched a brutal assault on the New Zealand bowlers, bringing up his fifty in just 21 balls and racing to a fiery 76 off 32. SKY initially played second fiddle, but together they added a match-defining 122-run stand that broke the back of the chase. After Kishan’s dismissal, the skipper shifted gears to remain unbeaten on 82 off 37, his first fifty since 2024, while Dube chipped in with three sixes as India sealed their joint-highest successful chase in T20Is.

Men in Blue make light work of 209! India have made a mockery of this big chase with some incredible hitting. New Zealand might have thought they had a sniff after making early inroads, but that was as good as it got for them as they soon looked helpless and out of ideas. This is a statement win from the Men in Blue, chasing down 209 with more than four overs to spare, and the Kiwis will have plenty to think about, especially in their bowling department.

15.21

India romp home! Mitchell serves another short ball, around the left shoulder. Dube gets on his toes to ride the bounce and pulls it through mid-wicket for the winning run. The Men in Blue chase 209 in a canter as they get home with 28 balls to spare.

15.11

Mitchell begins with an off-cutter, into the wicket. The line is around the hips. Suryakumar pulls it across to deep backward square leg for a single. Scores are level!

Runs Scored 11 Runs

Score after 15 overs : 207/3

S Yadav81 (36)

S Dube35 (17)

J Duffy4-0-38-1

14.61

A searing yorker at 133.3 kph, at the toes. SKY gets the front pad out of the way and jams it out behind on the leg side for one.

14.50

On a short of a length, outside off, Suryakumar punches it off the back foot to cover.

14.41

A good effort by Ish Sodhi! Sprayed on the pads by Duffy, on a length, Dube swings to get it past short fine leg. It goes on the bounce to Sodhi there, who dives to his right and gets a hand to it. He parries it away to his right. Just a single.

14.32

Nails the wide yorker, does Duffy. Dube gets his bat down and steers it with an open bat face behind square. Mark Chapman sprints and slides to his left in the deep to cut it off. Two runs taken. 4 more needed for India.

14.31wd

Wide! More effort behind this short ball but this is too high, over middle. Dube ducks under it as the ball sails over his head.

14.26

SIX! That has gone back many a mile. Duffy bashes the hard length, outside off. Dube stands tall on his toes, swivels and smacks the pull over deep mid-wicket for a biggie. 200 comes up for India.

14.10

Going across the left-hander, on a length, Dube swings through and powers the drive to the man at mid off.

Runs Scored 18 Runs

Score after 14 overs : 196/3

S Yadav80 (34)

S Dube26 (13)

Z Foulkes3-0-67-0

13.64

FOUR! SKY looks in a hurry to finish this game now. Fuller delivery, on middle, Suryakumar Yadav presents the full face of the bat and lofts it over the bowler's head towards the long on fence for four more runs. India need just 13 runs to win now.

13.61wd

WIDE! Tries the slower bouncer but goes way down the leg side, SKY leaves it. Wided.

13.54

FOUR! Deft touch now. Short of a length and just around off. Suryakumar Yadav plays it very late, opens the face of the bat and uses the pace to steer it to the third man fence for a boundary.

13.42

In the air..SAFE again! Fuller and on off, SKY looks to flick it away but gets a leading edge over point. Conway runs backwards but loses sight of the ball and cannot reach it. Two taken.

13.36

SIX! Change of bat, change of result! Pitched up and just around off, Suryakumar Yadav gets right underneath it and clobbers it down the ground over the long off fence for half a dozen more.

13.20

DROPPED! Would you believe it? It is the skipper who puts it down, which you don't see often. Hard length and on off, SKY tries to slam it down the ground but miscues it off the outer half of the bat, wide of cover. Santner runs to his right but gets a bit casual and spills it down. He gives a hug to his bowler, for whom the night cannot end quickly here.

13.11

On a length and on middle, Dube clips it away to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Zakary Foulkes is back in the attack. A tough outing for him so far, having gone for 49 runs in his 2 overs.

Runs Scored 14 Runs

Score after 13 overs : 178/3

S Yadav64 (29)

S Dube25 (12)

M Henry3-0-41-1

12.62

Back of a length and on middle, takes pace off, Suryakumar Yadav bends his back to sway away and almost falls over but manages to upper cut it over the short third fielder to collect two runs. The 50-run stand comes up between these two batters in just 23 balls.

12.50

A rare swing and a miss! A slower one, full and outside off. SKY backs away a bit too much and throws his bat at it but misses.

12.41

Hard length and outside off, Dube punches it to sweeper cover for one.

Commentary

Welcome back for India's reply. Mitchell Santner leads his men out onto the park. They are followed by the two Indian openers, Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson. Matt Henry will kickstart proceedings with the new ball. A slight hold-up as the advertisement on the sight screen hasn't turned off. The issue has now been sorted, and Samson is ready to take strike. Away we go!

... THE RUN CHASE ...

Mixed emotions for India! India will have mixed feelings about that effort. They will be disappointed with the finish, but considering the way New Zealand started, it could have been a lot worse. At the same time, after removing the likes of Ravindra, Mitchell, and Phillips, the home side would have hoped to keep the total under 200. A few of New Zealand’s dismissals came from batters going across the line, while India picked up some of their wickets by keeping the ball outside the hitting arc and making the batters reach. Valuable learnings for both teams. It should be an interesting chase. Stay tuned!

Middle muddle for the Black Caps! Once the 3rd wicket partnership was broken, the tourists struggled to build another significant stand as the Indian spinners adjusted their lines, consistently bowling outside the hitting arc. A scratchy phase followed for the tourists after they were reduced to 129/5 with more than 7 overs still left. Mark Chapman struggled to get going, while Mitchell Santner had a similar start but managed to flick the switch towards the end. Zakary Foulkes also chipped in with a valuable contribution.

208 on the board! The  Kiwis do get the desired finish, with 47 runs coming off the final three overs, but it could have been a lot more. They were 111/3 but managed 97 runs off the back 10 overs. A new opening combination at the top saw Tim Seifert join Devon Conway, and the pair came out swinging. Arshdeep Singh was taken to the cleaners early on before India struck back by removing both openers, though the Kiwis still managed to finish the Powerplay strongly. Glenn Phillips and Rachin Ravindra then continued to take the game on through the middle phase, stitching together a rapid 55-run stand.

Runs Scored 17 Runs

Score after 20 overs : 208/6

Z Foulkes15 (8)

M Santner47 (27)

A Singh4-0-53-0

19.64

FOUR! Zakary Foulkes finishes with a boundary! Arshdeep Singh bowls another full toss, on middle. Foulkes moves across again and gets his bat in front of the body to flick it away over square leg, and the ball races away to the fence for four runs. 17 from the over. New Zealand finish on 208/6!

19.56

SIX! Just over! Varun Chakaravarthy should have done better there. Arshdeep Singh misses his yorker and bowls a full toss, on middle. Zakary Foulkes shuffles across and scoops it. He hits it high in the air towards fine leg, where Varun runs to his right, extends both his arms but fails to reach out as the ball drops over the fence for a biggie. 200 UP FOR NEW ZEALAND!

19.41

Fuller and outside off again, Santner reaches out and forces it down to long off and takes the run. He wants the second but the long on fielder charges it and throws it back to the keeper to keep Santner off strike.

19.30

Right in the blockhole, outside off, Mitchell Santner only manages to jam it back to the bowler.

19.21

A low full toss, on middle, Zakary Foulkes changes his stance and reverse paddles it towards short third for a single and gives the strike back to his skipper.

19.21wd

WIDE! Bangs in a bouncer, on middle, just a bit too high, Foulkes lets it go. Called a wide.

19.14b

FOUR BYES! Sloppy work from Sanju Samson! Arshdeep Singh tries the wide yorker, but this is a bit too outside off, goes beyond the tramline, keeps angling away. Zakary Foulkes swings but misses. Samson, behind the stumps, dives to his right but lets it under his gloves as the ball races to the third man fence for a boundary.

India have been penalised for a slow over rate. They can now have only 4 fielders outside the 30-yard circle. Arshdeep Singh (3-0-40-0) to close out the innings. Point, fine leg, mid-wicket and mid off are the four men back.

Runs Scored 13 Runs

Score after 19 overs : 191/6

M Santner46 (25)

Z Foulkes4 (4)

H Pandya3-0-25-1

18.64

FOUR! Gets it away! Hardik Pandya just misses the yorker, serves this full and on middle and leg. Mitchell Santner somehow manages to glance it past short fine for another boundary. 200 is still very much on here.

18.50

Hard length and outside off, angling away, Mitchell Santner throws his bat at it but misses.

18.44

FOUR! Up and over! Back of a length and just outside off. Mitchell Santner opens up his stance, extends his arms to reach out and slaps it over extra cover for a boundary. He liked that one as he punches his bat and mutters something to himself.

18.30

Sharp bowling! Bangs in a quick and sharp bouncer, rises on the batter, Mitchell Santner looks to pull it away but gets hurried by the pace and bounce. Looks at the umpire but gets nothing.

18.21lb

Goes fuller and on off, Foulkes attempts another scoop but misses again and the ball deflects off his pads towards square leg. The batters cross for a leg bye.

18.14

FOUR! Calls for two, but gets a boundary here! Slower one, full and on middle, Zakary Foulkes reaches out and lofts it. He loses his bottom hand but gets it over the bowler. Ishan Kishan from long on runs to his left and tries to push it back with his left hand but fails to stop it from going to the fence.

Runs Scored 17 Runs

Score after 18 overs : 178/6

Z Foulkes0 (2)

M Santner38 (21)

H Rana3-1-35-1

17.61lb

Fuller and around off, Zakary Foulkes shuffles across to scoop it away but misses as the ball goes off his pads to the leg side. A leg bye taken.

17.51

Another slower one, full and on middle, Mitchell Santner just chips it over the bowler's head for one. Rana does well to run behind to keep it to one.

17.40

Hard-length delivery, on middle, Mitchell Santner backs away, loses his bottom hand and guides it away towards point.

17.34

FOUR MORE! Easy pickings! Short of a length and well outside off. Santner gets the chance to free his arms and crunches it through point for another boundary. The field is straight, but the length is short, quips Harsha Bhogle on air.

17.24

FOUR! Just over! Pitched up but on middle and leg. Mitchell Santner knows that square leg is up in the circle and flicks it. He does not get it from the middle but gets enough to clear that fielder as the ball races to the fence for a boundary. That fielder came up just before this ball.

17.21wd

WIDE! Slower bouncer, but too high again, Santner lets it go. Wided.

17.16

SIX! Oh..wow! That is effortless. Fuller in length and on middle and leg, Santner just gets under the ball, and with the flick of the wrists launches it over the long on fence for a biggie. Made it look easy.

Runs Scored 6 Runs

Score after 17 overs : 161/6

Z Foulkes0 (1)

M Santner23 (16)

H Pandya2-0-13-1

16.60

Play and a miss! Good length and just around off, gets some extra bounce with pace on, Zakary Foulkes has a feel for it but gets beaten on the outside edge. 10 runs and a wicket from the last two overs.

Zakary Foulkes is in at number 8.

16.5W

OUT! TAKEN! Hardik Pandya strikes now. He rolls his fingers to take pace off, hits the length hard and on off. Mark Chapman opens up his stance to heave it across the line but goes through his shot a bit too early. Gets a top edge as the ball flies towards long on, where Abhishek Sharma runs forward and takes a fine catch. Chapman goes back for a scratchy 10 off 13, and New Zealand are 161/6 now.

16.41

Right in the blockhole, on leg, Mitchell Santner jams it out towards long off for another run. 13 balls since the last boundary.

India
New Zealand

Commentary

Signing off! That brings us to the end of this run-fest in Raipur, where India made it 2-0 with a chasing masterclass. Next, we shift our focus to Guwahati and the Barsapara Stadium for the third T20I of this five-match series on Sunday, 25th January, with India looking to seal the series and New Zealand needing a win to stay alive. The game will begin at 1.30 pm GMT (7 pm IST), but as always, you can join us early for all the build-up and coverage. For now, thanks for your company, take care, and we will see you at the next one.

Player of the match Ishan Kishan (76 off 32 balls) says his focus was firmly on what he needed to do and that he was in a good headspace for this game. He feels that at times, you simply know when you are batting well, and it was about watching the ball closely and playing good cricket shots. Chasing 209, Ishan acknowledges the importance of getting a solid start in the Powerplay. Mentions that he was able to connect well from the start and he backed himself. Ishan also highlights the importance of domestic cricket in earning his way back into the national side. He adds that when he was out of the national side, he kept asking himself if he could do it again.

The victorious skipper of India Suryakumar Yadav jokingly says that he does not know what Kishan had for lunch. Adds that he has never seen someone bat like that after being 6/2, and then end the Powerplay at around 70. Mentions that they want their batters to play like that and express themselves out there. Tells that he got angry as Kishan did not give him the strike in the Powerplay, but he got to assess the conditions. Says that he has been batting really well in the nets and had a good practice and a break before this game. Credits all his bowlers for the way they pulled things back, as at one point he thought they could be chasing 230-odd runs. Ends by saying that the mood in the camp is really good, and he is enjoying it and wants to keep it in that space.

New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner reflects on the defeat. Asked how much is enough against this Indian side, he cheekily responds that maybe even 300 might not be enough against these guys. Santner says when you come up against a side that bats deep on a good wicket and with the way India came out, it becomes all about trying to squeeze wherever possible. He admits they know that 200 or 210 is unlikely to be enough and that his side needs to go harder with the bat to stay competitive. Santner also points out that some players are yet to come into the side and stresses the importance of keeping the group fresh with the World Cup in mind. He feels games like these are good learning experiences for the team. He further says that it was a very good wicket with a quick outfield, and cheekily adds that he needed to cash in with the bat as he had to bowl later on this wicket.

Presentation Time...

Shivam Dube has a quick chat. He praises the batting from Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav, calling it an amazing effort. Dube says Ishan played exactly what the team required, adding that while it was Abhishek Sharma who stepped up in the previous game, today it was Ishan who led the way. Talking about the mood in the camp after losing two early wickets, Dube jokes that he just told the physio to mobilise his back and shares that the atmosphere in the dressing room was pretty calm. Tells that they knew how the wicket was behaving here and says the belief in the group is strong, with every player having the ability to finish games. When asked about his promotion, he replies that it just depends on the situation. Mentions that the move was probably down to the left-right combination, with Ishan and Suryakumar at the crease and Hardik and himself next in. Tells that he is not really sure what a good total is on such surfaces, but the key to defending the totals is to pick early wickets and bowl well in the Powerplay.

One over that turned the tide! New Zealand will feel they missed a big opportunity after having the hosts where they wanted, with Henry and Duffy striking early. However, once Santner handed the third over to Foulkes, the momentum completely shifted as he was taken for 24 runs, and the Kiwis never really found a way back into the contest. Foulkes could not recover and ended up conceding 67 runs from his three overs. Sodhi did manage to pick up a wicket in the middle, but by then the damage had already been done. A few uncharacteristic dropped chances further summed up their night, showing just how much pressure they were under, and the wet conditions only added to their woes as they suffered a heavy defeat.

New Zealand's batting! Earlier in the game, after being asked to bat first, New Zealand posted a big total, although they might feel they left a few runs behind in the middle overs, given the strong start they made. They played with intent throughout despite losing wickets, with most batters getting starts, but the standout contributions came from Ravindra’s 44 off 26 and Santner’s unbeaten 47 off 27, which gave their bowlers a solid cushion in wet conditions. For India, Kuldeep and Varun slowed the scoring by sharing three wickets, while Pandya, Rana and Dube chipped in with one each, and although Arshdeep had a rare off day up front, he did pull things back a bit at the death.

Kishan and SKY power record chase! The big question was whether India could maintain their aggressive approach if Abhishek Sharma failed, and that was answered emphatically in this chase. After both openers were dismissed and India slipped to 6/2, Ishan Kishan continued his fine domestic form and launched a brutal assault on the New Zealand bowlers, bringing up his fifty in just 21 balls and racing to a fiery 76 off 32. SKY initially played second fiddle, but together they added a match-defining 122-run stand that broke the back of the chase. After Kishan’s dismissal, the skipper shifted gears to remain unbeaten on 82 off 37, his first fifty since 2024, while Dube chipped in with three sixes as India sealed their joint-highest successful chase in T20Is.

Men in Blue make light work of 209! India have made a mockery of this big chase with some incredible hitting. New Zealand might have thought they had a sniff after making early inroads, but that was as good as it got for them as they soon looked helpless and out of ideas. This is a statement win from the Men in Blue, chasing down 209 with more than four overs to spare, and the Kiwis will have plenty to think about, especially in their bowling department.

15.21

India romp home! Mitchell serves another short ball, around the left shoulder. Dube gets on his toes to ride the bounce and pulls it through mid-wicket for the winning run. The Men in Blue chase 209 in a canter as they get home with 28 balls to spare.

15.11

Mitchell begins with an off-cutter, into the wicket. The line is around the hips. Suryakumar pulls it across to deep backward square leg for a single. Scores are level!

Runs Scored 11 Runs

Score after 15 overs : 207/3

S Yadav81 (36)

S Dube35 (17)

J Duffy4-0-38-1

14.61

A searing yorker at 133.3 kph, at the toes. SKY gets the front pad out of the way and jams it out behind on the leg side for one.

14.50

On a short of a length, outside off, Suryakumar punches it off the back foot to cover.

14.41

A good effort by Ish Sodhi! Sprayed on the pads by Duffy, on a length, Dube swings to get it past short fine leg. It goes on the bounce to Sodhi there, who dives to his right and gets a hand to it. He parries it away to his right. Just a single.

14.32

Nails the wide yorker, does Duffy. Dube gets his bat down and steers it with an open bat face behind square. Mark Chapman sprints and slides to his left in the deep to cut it off. Two runs taken. 4 more needed for India.

14.31wd

Wide! More effort behind this short ball but this is too high, over middle. Dube ducks under it as the ball sails over his head.

14.26

SIX! That has gone back many a mile. Duffy bashes the hard length, outside off. Dube stands tall on his toes, swivels and smacks the pull over deep mid-wicket for a biggie. 200 comes up for India.

14.10

Going across the left-hander, on a length, Dube swings through and powers the drive to the man at mid off.

Runs Scored 18 Runs

Score after 14 overs : 196/3

S Yadav80 (34)

S Dube26 (13)

Z Foulkes3-0-67-0

13.64

FOUR! SKY looks in a hurry to finish this game now. Fuller delivery, on middle, Suryakumar Yadav presents the full face of the bat and lofts it over the bowler's head towards the long on fence for four more runs. India need just 13 runs to win now.

13.61wd

WIDE! Tries the slower bouncer but goes way down the leg side, SKY leaves it. Wided.

13.54

FOUR! Deft touch now. Short of a length and just around off. Suryakumar Yadav plays it very late, opens the face of the bat and uses the pace to steer it to the third man fence for a boundary.

13.42

In the air..SAFE again! Fuller and on off, SKY looks to flick it away but gets a leading edge over point. Conway runs backwards but loses sight of the ball and cannot reach it. Two taken.

13.36

SIX! Change of bat, change of result! Pitched up and just around off, Suryakumar Yadav gets right underneath it and clobbers it down the ground over the long off fence for half a dozen more.

13.20

DROPPED! Would you believe it? It is the skipper who puts it down, which you don't see often. Hard length and on off, SKY tries to slam it down the ground but miscues it off the outer half of the bat, wide of cover. Santner runs to his right but gets a bit casual and spills it down. He gives a hug to his bowler, for whom the night cannot end quickly here.

13.11

On a length and on middle, Dube clips it away to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Zakary Foulkes is back in the attack. A tough outing for him so far, having gone for 49 runs in his 2 overs.

Runs Scored 14 Runs

Score after 13 overs : 178/3

S Yadav64 (29)

S Dube25 (12)

M Henry3-0-41-1

12.62

Back of a length and on middle, takes pace off, Suryakumar Yadav bends his back to sway away and almost falls over but manages to upper cut it over the short third fielder to collect two runs. The 50-run stand comes up between these two batters in just 23 balls.

12.50

A rare swing and a miss! A slower one, full and outside off. SKY backs away a bit too much and throws his bat at it but misses.

12.41

Hard length and outside off, Dube punches it to sweeper cover for one.

12.34

FOUR! Powered away! Short of a length and just outside off, Dube extends his arms and muscles it away wide of long off. Santner is not too far away, but the ball zips through the outfield and beats his dive to his right for a boundary.

12.21

A low full toss, on leg, SKY jams it out towards mid on for a quick single.

12.16

SIX! It's raining sixes here in Raipur! Fuller delivery, on middle, Suryakumar Yadav steps across and plays the scoop. He gets it from the outer half of the bat and goes miles in the air. The fielder at deep fine leg thinks he is in the game but only watches it sail over his head for a biggie.

Matt Henry returns to the attack. 2-0-27-1 so far for Henry. He went for 21 runs in his previous over.

Runs Scored 16 Runs

Score after 12 overs : 164/3

S Dube20 (10)

S Yadav55 (25)

I Sodhi3-0-34-1

11.66

SIX! That is bread and butter for him! Flighted, full and on middle, turns in. Dube gets it right in his arc, clears his front leg away and smokes it over the deep mid-wicket fence for a biggie.

11.51

Floated, full and around off, SKY goes inside out and lofts it towards sweeper cover for one.

11.41

Quicker, short and on middle, Shivam Dube forces it onto the pitch and the bounce takes it over the bowler's head towards long on for one.

11.30

A shout for LBW, but turned down! However, Mitchell Santner takes the review but more in desperation. Flatter, full and on middle and leg. Dube stays back to flick it away but misses and gets hit on the pads. UltraEdge shows no bat involved and Ball Tracking shows that it has pitched outside leg. The Kiwis lose a review.

11.26

SIX! Going, going, gone! That is a six on any ground in the world. A googly, full and on middle, turns away. Dube gets down on one knee and launches it high and handsomely over the long on fence for a biggie. 100 METERS!

11.12

Floated, full and on middle, Dube flicks it away wide of deep mid-wicket for a brace.

Runs Scored 15 Runs

Score after 11 overs : 148/3

S Yadav54 (24)

S Dube5 (5)

J Duffy3-0-27-1

10.64

FOUR! Finds the gap! Bangs this into the pitch and just outside off. SKY hops up and swats it aerially but well wide of the mid off fielder for a boundary.

10.51

Short of a length and on off, Shivam Dube flat-bats it to long on for one.

10.41

FIFTY FOR SKY! After 23 innings, the Indian skipper has got a half-century and this is a big positive for the hosts to see him back in form ahead of the World Cup. Good length and around off, Suryakumar Yadav guides it towards deep point for a single. He touches the pitch and points up to the sky to celebrate his milestone.

10.36

SIX! JUST OVER! A slower one, full and around middle, Suryakumar Yadav gets inside the line to play his favourite scoop but gets it from the toe-end of the bat. It flies towards deep backward square leg, where Mark Chapman leaps up and tries to push it back to save the six, but takes his eyes off the ball and it pops over the ropes for a six.

10.22

Back of a length and on middle, SKY steps across and nudges it towards deep mid-wicket for a couple of runs.

10.11

Fuller and on middle, Dube drills it down the pitch. Duffy dives to his left on the follow-through but lets it through to long on for a single.

Runs Scored 5 Runs

Score after 10 overs : 133/3

S Dube3 (3)

S Yadav41 (20)

I Sodhi2-0-18-1

9.61

Flat and full, at the sticks, Dube taps it to long on and keeps the strike with a single. A good over for New Zealand. A wicket and 5 runs off it. Can they build on this?

9.51

Short and turning away, outside off, Suryakumar waits on it and steers it wide of short third. They cross.

9.41

Short and outside off, cut away to deep point for a single.

9.31

This stays low, slow and short, on middle. SKY knocks it to long on for one.

9.21

Another wrong'un, short and on off, Dube stays back and pulls it hard towards mid-wicket, where Henry lets it through and concedes a single.

DRINKS! New Zealand have managed to get rid of Ishan Kishan and break the massive 122-run stand, but the damage has already been done here. They will need a couple of more wickets to put pressure back on India, but with the depth in batting the hosts have, they are favourites at the moment. However, we have seen stranger things happen in cricket, and if the Kiwis manage to test the middle order, they could still make a game out of this one. Also, Shivam Dube is the next batter in.

9.1W

OUT! CAUGHT! The fireworks from Ishan Kishan are over. The googly does the trick for Ish Sodhi. This is flighted, full and outside off, Ishan walks across his stumps and gets low to unleash the slog sweep. He plays against the turn and the ball catches a top edge. It is skied towards short fine leg, where Matt Henry does not quite judge it that well and could have taken a step or two more in front to make the catch easier for himself. He reaches out in front in the end to take the catch. Ishan falls for 76 (32). India are now 128/3, chasing 81 runs from 65 balls.

Runs Scored 25 Runs

Score after 9 overs : 128/2

S Yadav39 (18)

I Kishan76 (31)

Z Foulkes2-0-49-0

8.62

Full and at the sticks, Yadav firms the drive with a straight bat to the left of long on for a couple of runs. 25 runs off the over!

8.56

SIX! Make that 25 runs! Foulkes bowls the slow, short ball but fails to get it high enough, on off and middle. Yadav walks inside the line, waits on it and picks it up over long leg for a biggie.

8.44

FOUR! All class from the Indian captain. Pitched up by Foulkes, on off, Suryakumar leans on and caresses the drive all along the ground between cover and mid off for the fourth boundary of the over. 17 runs off the over with two balls to go.

8.34

FOUR! Off the edge! Nothing going right for Foulkes. Ths is on a length, outside off, Suryakumar pushes away from his body with hard hands. The ball catches the outside edge and goes wide of the keeper for a four.

8.31wd

Wide! Foulkes gets it all wrong. Zakary attempts the slower ball but sprays it well down leg.

8.24

FOUR! Same region but over that fielder this time. Foulkes bashes the hard length, over off, Suryakumar arches back and uses the pace on the ball. Plays the upper cut over short third for a four.

8.14

FOUR! Gets it through! Off-cutter, on a length, on off, SKY extends his hands and opens the bat face. He glides it to the right of the sliding short third fielder for a four.

Zakary Foulkes comes back into the attack. He conceded 24 runs in his first over.

Runs Scored 15 Runs

Score after 8 overs : 103/2

S Yadav15 (12)

I Kishan76 (31)

M Santner2-0-27-0

7.61

Full and on off, Yadav pushes it to long off for a single. 15 runs off Santner's second over. He has conceded 27 runs in his first two overs.

7.54

FOUR! Off the top edge but the Indian skipper will take it. Darted in from around the wicket, full and on middle. Suryakumar gets low to play the hard sweep. He fails to roll his wrists over the ball and gets a top edge. The ball flies over short fine leg. Ish Sodhi gives it a chase and slides to pull it back in but the ball touches the boundary cushions first and then he pushes the ball away. 100 comes up for India!

7.41

Keeps it slow and wide too, on a length. Ishan has a swing at it but shanks it to long off for one.

7.31

Hangs it up there a bit, does Santner, on a length, outside off, SKY reaches out in front and drops on a knee. He brooms it behind square for a run.

7.21

Low full toss, across off, this is hit down to long on for one.

7.21wd

Wide! Santner switches to around the wicket and tries to run it across the left-hander. Sprays it wide on off.

7.16

SIX! Phenomenal striking! Fractionally short, on off, Ishan picks up the length quickly and goes on the back foot in a flash. He nails the pull over deep mid-wicket for a six.

Runs Scored 13 Runs

Score after 7 overs : 88/2

I Kishan68 (28)

S Yadav9 (9)

I Sodhi1-0-13-0

6.61

Fuller and in the blockhole, on off, Kishan jams it out to long off for a single. 13 from the over, no Kiwi bowler is spared here.

6.56

SIX! Ish Sodhi held half a hand up as he thought it was going to hand but it kept going over the deep fielder. Flatter and shorter, on middle, Kishan dances down the track and smacks it flat towards deep mid-wicket. Glenn Phillips at deep mid-wicket thought he was in business but it sailed over his head.

6.41

Looped up, full and outside off, SKY plants his front foot across and drags the sweep square on the leg side. It is cut off with a sliding effort in the deep. They cross.

6.31

On a nagging length, this is smeared away in front of square for a single.

6.24

FOUR! Innovative and mighty effective! Sodhi tries to keep it away from the batter's arc, very full, Ishan walks across to the off side and brings out the reverse. He plays it behind point for a four.

6.10

Starts with a flighted delivery, full and on middle, Ishan has a big swing at it. He almost swings himself off his feet. Gets it off an inside edge to short fine leg.

Despite losing both openers, India have bossed the Powerplay. New Zealand now bring in the wrist spinner as Ish Sodhi replaces his skipper.

Runs Scored 21 Runs

Score after 6 overs : 75/2

I Kishan56 (23)

S Yadav8 (8)

M Henry2-0-27-1

5.61

Banged in short, on middle, pulled to deep mid-wicket for one by Ishan. 21 runs off the final over of the Powerplay. At the end of 6 overs, India are 75/2.

5.54

FOUR! No chance for any of the fielders this time. Henry lands it full, outside off, Ishan swings through the line and slams it over extra cover. It almost went the distance as the ball bounced just in front of the boundary cushions.

5.44

FOUR! Just over and that will be FIFTY for Ishan Kishan. Ishan brings up his half-century in 21 balls and this is now the fastest fifty by an Indian in a T20I against New Zealand. Abhishek Sharma held the record before this with his 22-ball half-century in the first game. Low full toss, near the tramline on off. Ishan gets low and reaches out. He chips it over a leaping Mitchell Santner at wide mid off for a four.

5.36

SIX! Swung away nicely! Another off-pace delivery but this is fuller, on middle and leg. Kishan stays deep in the crease and crouches to get under the ball. He clobbers it over deep square leg for a six.

5.21

Into the surface, pace off, on off, Yadav stands tall and whips it through mid-wicket for a single.

5.21wd

Wide! Henry digs it in too short, outside off, SKY ducks under it. Wide given for height.

5.14

FOUR! That is a shot and a half! At 131.3 kph, on a good length, on off and middle. Suryakumar brings his bat out in front and just checks his drive. It races past mid on's left for a four. Last four balls have found the fence and India are flying!

Change of ends for Matt Henry.

Runs Scored 12 Runs

Score after 5 overs : 54/2

I Kishan41 (19)

S Yadav3 (6)

M Santner1-0-12-0

4.64

FOUR! Three in a row to end the over! Shorter in length and outside off, Kishan rocks back quicker, extends his arms and punches it sweetly through covers for four more runs. Three dots followed by a hat-trick of boundaries in the over.

4.54

FOUR! Easy pickings! Tries to bowl it quick and on the pads, but spills out a full toss, on leg. Ishan Kishan gets down on one knee and paddles it over the short fine leg fielder for another boundary.

4.44

FOUR! Zakary Foulkes is not having a great day out there! Fired full and on middle, Ishan Kishan once again has a big swipe across the line. It goes off the inside half of the bat towards deep mid-wicket. Foulkes runs to his left, gets to it with a slide but lets it through his legs for a boundary.

Change of bat for Ishan Kishan.

4.30

What happened there? Not just the ball, the bat is flying too. Tossed up around off, Kishan camps back to heave it over the leg side but does not quite get hold of it. The inner edge drags it towards square leg, and the bat slips out of his hands, landing nearby as well. It's all happening in Raipur.

4.20

Flatter, full and on leg, Kishan flicks it away to square leg. Looks for a run but is sent back.

4.10

Floated, full and on off, Ishan pushes it towards short cover.

Zakary Foulkes has been replaced after an expensive first over. Mitchell Santner brings himself on.

Runs Scored 10 Runs

Score after 4 overs : 42/2

I Kishan29 (13)

S Yadav3 (6)

J Duffy2-0-12-1

3.61

A yorker now, on middle, Kishan jams it out towards mid off for a quick single.

3.50

On a length and on middle, Kishan nudges it to short mid-wicket.

3.44

FOUR! Much more in control this time! Back of a length and outside off, Kishan frees his arms and absolutely crunches it towards point. Glenn Phillips flings himself to his left to grab it but the ball zips past him for a boundary. If he can't reach it, then no one can.

3.34

FOUR! In the air but in the gap as well! Pitched up and just outside off, Ishan Kishan extends his arms to reach out but loses his balance in the process. He carves it aerially but wide of extra cover. Santner gives a good chase, dives forward to push it back inside, but parries it to the fence for a boundary.

3.20

Short of a length and outside off, Ishan Kishan stabs it out towards cover-point.

3.11

Hard length and around off, Suryakumar Yadav pats it wide of mid off for a single.

Runs Scored 24 Runs

Score after 3 overs : 32/2

I Kishan20 (8)

S Yadav2 (5)

Z Foulkes1-0-24-0

2.66

SIX! BOOM! 24 runs off the over. This is full again and angling into the leg side, Kishan gets inside the line of it, uses his wrists and whips it over the deep fine leg fence for half a dozen more. India are right back in this chase.

2.50

Misses out there! Fullish and around leg, Kishan tucks it away but straight towards short fine. A bit either side of that fielder and it would have been a boundary.

2.44

FOUR! 18 off the over already with 2 balls to go! Bangs this into the pitch and around off. Kishan drags his pull and beats the dive of the mid-wicket fielder to his left for another boundary.

2.31

On a length and on leg, SKY flicks it through mid-wicket for a run.

2.21

Comes around the wicket, lands this on a hard length and on off, Kishan steers it through point for a single.

2.21wd

WIDE! This is not good bowling, and Foulkes is releasing a bit of pressure from India. Full and down the leg again, Kishan tries to scoop but misses. Third wide of the over.

2.14

FOUR! Blazed away! Overpitched and around off, Kishan gets underneath it and smashes it to the long off fence for a boundary.

2.11wd

WIDE! Errs in line and pitches it up down the leg side, Kishan fails to flick it away. Another wide. Free Hit is still there.

2.11wd

WIDE! Goes fuller and way, way outside off, Ishan Kishan throws his bat to try and reach out but misses and falls over as well. Called a wide. Free Hit continues...

2.15nb

NO BALL AND FOUR! Not the greatest of starts from Zakary Foulkes! He lands this short of a length and outside off, but on his load up, he breaks the stumps with his right hand. Kishan stands tall and slaps it over extra cover for a boundary. It is called a No Ball. Free Hit up next...

Runs Scored 2 Runs

Score after 2 overs : 8/2

S Yadav1 (4)

I Kishan1 (2)

J Duffy1-0-2-1

1.60

On a length and on leg, Suryakumar Yadav clips it to short mid-wicket. Just 2 runs and a big wicket from the over.

1.50

Absolute jaffa! Jacob Duffy lands this on a good length and in that channel outside off, hits the deck and straightens a bit. Suryakumar Yadav gets squared up as the ball zips past the outside edge.

1.41

Short of a length and outside off, Kishan cuts it away to deep point for a run.

1.31

Ohh...that one takes off! Back of a length and on off, rises up off the deck sharply. Suryakumar Yadav gets surprised as he hangs his bat away from his body. It takes the shoulder of the bat and goes towards deep third for a single.

1.20

Fuller on middle, SKY knocks it down the pitch, where Duffy gets a hand on it on his follow-through to make a half-stop.

In walks the Indian skipper. Here's Suryakumar Yadav.

1.1W

OUT! TAKEN! Jacob Duffy strikes on his first delivery, and there will be no fireworks from Abhishek Sharma in this game. Fuller delivery and on the pads. Just like Samson, Abhishek also picks it up and flicks it but hits it to the longer side of the ground. Also, does not get the distance as it goes straight to deep square leg, where Devon Conway pouches it safely. He makes up for his dropped chance. Sharma departs for a golden duck, and the Kiwis are well and truly on top here.

An eventful first over. Jacob Duffy will steam in from the other end.

Runs Scored 6 Runs

Score after 1 overs : 6/1

I Kishan0 (1)

A Sharma0 (0)

M Henry1-0-6-1

0.60

Pitched up and on middle, shaping in a bit, Ishan Kishan gets forward and knocks it towards mid off. 6 runs and a big wicket from the first over then.

Ishan Kishan is in at number 3.

0.5W

OUT! TAKEN! Matt Henry gets his man, and Devon Conway is the most relieved man on the field. Much fuller this time, on middle, angling in a bit. Sanju Samson looks to go over mid on, but gets it from the toe-end of the bat. He knows the moment he hits it and the ball lobs up towards mid on, where Rachin Ravindra backtracks and takes a good catch. Samson walks back for 6 off 5, and India are 6/1, chasing 209 runs.

0.40

Short of a length and on off, Samson dabs it to point.

0.30

BEATEN! Good length and in that channel outside off, shaping away, Samson pushes at it but gets beaten on the outside edge.

0.26

DROPPED AND SIX! That is a huge moment. Fuller and on the pads, Sanju Samson picks it up and flicks it away but does not get the timing right. Devon Conway at deep square leg comes a bit forward and then tries to grab it above his head with a reverse cup but only manages to parry it over the fence for a biggie.

0.10

Right on the money! Matt Henry starts with a back-of-a-length delivery, on middle, Sanju Samson rides the bounce and pats it down the pitch.

Commentary

Welcome back for India's reply. Mitchell Santner leads his men out onto the park. They are followed by the two Indian openers, Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson. Matt Henry will kickstart proceedings with the new ball. A slight hold-up as the advertisement on the sight screen hasn't turned off. The issue has now been sorted, and Samson is ready to take strike. Away we go!

... THE RUN CHASE ...

Mixed emotions for India! India will have mixed feelings about that effort. They will be disappointed with the finish, but considering the way New Zealand started, it could have been a lot worse. At the same time, after removing the likes of Ravindra, Mitchell, and Phillips, the home side would have hoped to keep the total under 200. A few of New Zealand’s dismissals came from batters going across the line, while India picked up some of their wickets by keeping the ball outside the hitting arc and making the batters reach. Valuable learnings for both teams. It should be an interesting chase. Stay tuned!

Middle muddle for the Black Caps! Once the 3rd wicket partnership was broken, the tourists struggled to build another significant stand as the Indian spinners adjusted their lines, consistently bowling outside the hitting arc. A scratchy phase followed for the tourists after they were reduced to 129/5 with more than 7 overs still left. Mark Chapman struggled to get going, while Mitchell Santner had a similar start but managed to flick the switch towards the end. Zakary Foulkes also chipped in with a valuable contribution.

208 on the board! The  Kiwis do get the desired finish, with 47 runs coming off the final three overs, but it could have been a lot more. They were 111/3 but managed 97 runs off the back 10 overs. A new opening combination at the top saw Tim Seifert join Devon Conway, and the pair came out swinging. Arshdeep Singh was taken to the cleaners early on before India struck back by removing both openers, though the Kiwis still managed to finish the Powerplay strongly. Glenn Phillips and Rachin Ravindra then continued to take the game on through the middle phase, stitching together a rapid 55-run stand.

Runs Scored 17 Runs

Score after 20 overs : 208/6

Z Foulkes15 (8)

M Santner47 (27)

A Singh4-0-53-0

19.64

FOUR! Zakary Foulkes finishes with a boundary! Arshdeep Singh bowls another full toss, on middle. Foulkes moves across again and gets his bat in front of the body to flick it away over square leg, and the ball races away to the fence for four runs. 17 from the over. New Zealand finish on 208/6!

19.56

SIX! Just over! Varun Chakaravarthy should have done better there. Arshdeep Singh misses his yorker and bowls a full toss, on middle. Zakary Foulkes shuffles across and scoops it. He hits it high in the air towards fine leg, where Varun runs to his right, extends both his arms but fails to reach out as the ball drops over the fence for a biggie. 200 UP FOR NEW ZEALAND!

19.41

Fuller and outside off again, Santner reaches out and forces it down to long off and takes the run. He wants the second but the long on fielder charges it and throws it back to the keeper to keep Santner off strike.

19.30

Right in the blockhole, outside off, Mitchell Santner only manages to jam it back to the bowler.

19.21

A low full toss, on middle, Zakary Foulkes changes his stance and reverse paddles it towards short third for a single and gives the strike back to his skipper.

19.21wd

WIDE! Bangs in a bouncer, on middle, just a bit too high, Foulkes lets it go. Called a wide.

19.14b

FOUR BYES! Sloppy work from Sanju Samson! Arshdeep Singh tries the wide yorker, but this is a bit too outside off, goes beyond the tramline, keeps angling away. Zakary Foulkes swings but misses. Samson, behind the stumps, dives to his right but lets it under his gloves as the ball races to the third man fence for a boundary.

India have been penalised for a slow over rate. They can now have only 4 fielders outside the 30-yard circle. Arshdeep Singh (3-0-40-0) to close out the innings. Point, fine leg, mid-wicket and mid off are the four men back.

Runs Scored 13 Runs

Score after 19 overs : 191/6

M Santner46 (25)

Z Foulkes4 (4)

H Pandya3-0-25-1

18.64

FOUR! Gets it away! Hardik Pandya just misses the yorker, serves this full and on middle and leg. Mitchell Santner somehow manages to glance it past short fine for another boundary. 200 is still very much on here.

18.50

Hard length and outside off, angling away, Mitchell Santner throws his bat at it but misses.

18.44

FOUR! Up and over! Back of a length and just outside off. Mitchell Santner opens up his stance, extends his arms to reach out and slaps it over extra cover for a boundary. He liked that one as he punches his bat and mutters something to himself.

18.30

Sharp bowling! Bangs in a quick and sharp bouncer, rises on the batter, Mitchell Santner looks to pull it away but gets hurried by the pace and bounce. Looks at the umpire but gets nothing.

18.21lb

Goes fuller and on off, Foulkes attempts another scoop but misses again and the ball deflects off his pads towards square leg. The batters cross for a leg bye.

18.14

FOUR! Calls for two, but gets a boundary here! Slower one, full and on middle, Zakary Foulkes reaches out and lofts it. He loses his bottom hand but gets it over the bowler. Ishan Kishan from long on runs to his left and tries to push it back with his left hand but fails to stop it from going to the fence.

Runs Scored 17 Runs

Score after 18 overs : 178/6

Z Foulkes0 (2)

M Santner38 (21)

H Rana3-1-35-1

17.61lb

Fuller and around off, Zakary Foulkes shuffles across to scoop it away but misses as the ball goes off his pads to the leg side. A leg bye taken.

17.51

Another slower one, full and on middle, Mitchell Santner just chips it over the bowler's head for one. Rana does well to run behind to keep it to one.

17.40

Hard-length delivery, on middle, Mitchell Santner backs away, loses his bottom hand and guides it away towards point.

17.34

FOUR MORE! Easy pickings! Short of a length and well outside off. Santner gets the chance to free his arms and crunches it through point for another boundary. The field is straight, but the length is short, quips Harsha Bhogle on air.

17.24

FOUR! Just over! Pitched up but on middle and leg. Mitchell Santner knows that square leg is up in the circle and flicks it. He does not get it from the middle but gets enough to clear that fielder as the ball races to the fence for a boundary. That fielder came up just before this ball.

17.21wd

WIDE! Slower bouncer, but too high again, Santner lets it go. Wided.

17.16

SIX! Oh..wow! That is effortless. Fuller in length and on middle and leg, Santner just gets under the ball, and with the flick of the wrists launches it over the long on fence for a biggie. Made it look easy.

Runs Scored 6 Runs

Score after 17 overs : 161/6

Z Foulkes0 (1)

M Santner23 (16)

H Pandya2-0-13-1

16.60

Play and a miss! Good length and just around off, gets some extra bounce with pace on, Zakary Foulkes has a feel for it but gets beaten on the outside edge. 10 runs and a wicket from the last two overs.

Zakary Foulkes is in at number 8.

16.5W

OUT! TAKEN! Hardik Pandya strikes now. He rolls his fingers to take pace off, hits the length hard and on off. Mark Chapman opens up his stance to heave it across the line but goes through his shot a bit too early. Gets a top edge as the ball flies towards long on, where Abhishek Sharma runs forward and takes a fine catch. Chapman goes back for a scratchy 10 off 13, and New Zealand are 161/6 now.

16.41

Right in the blockhole, on leg, Mitchell Santner jams it out towards long off for another run. 13 balls since the last boundary.

16.31

Hard length and outside off, Mark Chapman backs away but has to reach out for it and swats it to long off for just a run.

16.31wd

WIDE! Tries the slower bouncer, on middle, but this is too high. Chapman leaves it alone. Called a wide.

16.21

Uppish but safe! A full toss, outside off, Mitchell Santner swings hard at it but slices it over the point region and wide of the extra cover fielder. They cross.

16.12

Back of a length and around off, Santner punches it wide of sweeper cover for a couple of runs.

A good comeback over from Arshdeep. Just 4 runs off the over. It should be pace from both ends to close out the innings. Hardik Pandya (1-0-7-0) comes back on.

Runs Scored 4 Runs

Score after 16 overs : 155/5

M Chapman9 (11)

M Santner19 (13)

A Singh3-0-40-0

15.60

Pitched up and outside off, but inside the tramline, Mark Chapman leaves it along, thinking it will be a wide, but gets nothing from the umpire.

15.51

Fuller and well outside off, Mitchell Santner steps across and winds up for the scoop but then has to adjust to the line of the ball. He tries to flick it away but gets an inside edge onto his pads as the ball rolls to the off side. They cross.

15.41

Back of a length and around off, takes pace off, Mark Chapman looks to heave it away but miscues it off the bottom edge to the left of the bowler for another run.

15.30

Well bowled! Arshdeep Singh nails the yorker, on middle, swings in a bit in the air, Mark Chapman can only get his bat down to dig it out.

15.21

Bangs this into the pitch, keeps it away from the batter, outside off. Mitchell Santner reaches out and stabs it out to sweeper cover for a run.

15.11

Short of a length and on off, Mark Chapman rides the bounce and pulls it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Arshdeep Singh is back on. He has conceded 36 runs in his first two overs.

Runs Scored 11 Runs

Score after 15 overs : 151/5

M Chapman7 (7)

M Santner17 (11)

K Yadav4-0-35-2

14.61

Slightly quicker through the air, fuller and on middle. Chapman clips it between long on and deep mid-wicket. The call is for two but the fielders in the deep are quick to get in this time. Just a single.

14.51

Drops it fractionally short, on off, Santner pats it through covers and crosses over.

14.42

Full and angled in, on middle and leg, Mitchell works it using his wrists, wide of deep mid-wicket for a brace.

14.34

FOUR! Nicely put away! Loopy full toss, on middle and leg, Santner clears the front leg and gets his hands through the ball. Drills it down the ground and the long on fielder stands no chance.

14.21

A bit short, on middle, Mark rocks back and punches it to long on. They cross.

14.12

Floated up, full and on leg, Chapman wrists it to the right of deep mid-wicket for a couple of runs.

Runs Scored 8 Runs

Score after 14 overs : 140/5

M Chapman3 (4)

M Santner10 (8)

V Chakaravarthy4-0-35-1

13.61

Flat and short, on off, Chapman flat bats it down to long on for a run.

13.51

Short and around off, Santner pushes it wide of cover for a single.

13.40

Slow and short, on middle, Santner stabs it down the deck.

13.32

Oh, a better throw could have been close! Slower and shorter, around middle and leg. Santner dabs it with soft hands in the vacant mid-wicket region. He comes charging back for the second run. Ishan Kishan's throw goes to the bowling end but it is a bit wide and on top of that, Varun fails to gather it, allowing Chapman to make his ground.

13.20

From around the wicket, on a nagging length, on middle. Santner hangs back to defend.

13.14

FOUR! Gets it away! Full and turning down leg, Santner needs to get some bat on it and he does. Tickles it off the pads and gets it fine enough of the sliding Arshdeep Singh at short fine leg.

Runs Scored 5 Runs

Score after 13 overs : 132/5

M Santner3 (3)

M Chapman2 (3)

K Yadav3-0-24-2

12.61

Googly but it does not turn, shorter and on middle. Mitchell backs away and hits it through covers for a run.

12.50

Tossed up, full and on off, Santner lunges and taps it to cover.

12.42

Shorter and on the off stump, Santner punches it off the back foot to cover, where Shivam Dube lets it through and concedes a couple of runs.

New Zealand lose half their side now. Skipper Mitchell Santner comes out to the middle with his side in a slight spot of bother.

12.3W

OUT! CAUGHT! New Zealand are losing their way here. For the second time in the game, two set batters fall in quick succession. Flighted delivery, full and keeps it near the wide guideline on off. Ravindra reaches out in front and extends his hands to go through the off side. The ball turns away to catch the outer half. It goes towards short third, where Arshdeep Singh moves forward and slides to take the catch above the turf. Rachin goes after scoring 44 runs from 26 balls. From being 98 for 2, the Kiwis are now 129/5.

12.21

Dishes out the googly, a bit short, on middle. Chapman knocks it to the left of the bowler. Kuldeep dives but the ball evades him. They cross.

12.11

Slider, full and on leg, Ravindra uses the depth of the crease and knocks it to long on for a single.

Runs Scored 7 Runs

Score after 12 overs : 127/4

R Ravindra43 (24)

M Chapman1 (2)

S Dube1-0-7-1

11.61

Fuller and wider on off, Rachin plays it late and down to deep backward point for a single. A wicket and 7 runs from the over.

11.51

Around leg, on a good length, Chapman flicks it through mid-wicket for a single to get off the mark.

11.40

Skidding through, going across the left-hander, Chapman pushes away from his body but is beaten for pace.

A timely wicket for India. Mark Chapman walks out to bat now.

11.3W

OUT! CAUGHT! Shivam Dube gets the prized scalp. Shivam bowls the off-cutter, keeps it full and near the tramline on off. Mitchell does not move his feet at all and stays leg side of the ball. He swings to launch it back over the bowler's head. He was better off going inside out. He skies it towards long on, where Hardik Pandya takes it close to his chest. Mitchell falls for 18 (11). New Zealand are now 125/4.

11.24

FOUR! Gap picked with surgical precision! Pace off at 106.8 kph, into the deck, on off, Mitchell waits on it on the back foot and rolls his wrists on the pull. Plays it right between deep square leg and deep mid-wicket and neither of the two deep fielders really goes for it, and the ball goes right between them.

11.11

On a length, angling across off. Ravindra plays a punchy drive to deep cover for a single.

India bring on their seventh bowler. Shivam Dube replaces Abhishek Sharma.

Runs Scored 9 Runs

Score after 11 overs : 120/3

D Mitchell14 (9)

R Ravindra41 (22)

V Chakaravarthy3-0-27-1

10.60

At 94.8 kph, a bit of kick off the deck, on the shorter side, on middle. Mitchell premeditates as he charges down the track and tries to clip it away. He is beaten on the inside edge and wears it on the thigh pad.

10.50

A huge shout for LBW but turned down! Was the impact outside the line? Looked like it. Suryakumar Yadav checks with the keeper and the bowler before taking the review. Bowled from the back of the hand, flatter and fuller, on off, Mitchell drops on a knee for the sweep but the ball sneaks under the blade to hit him on the crouched back thigh. No bat involed but as expected, the impact is well outside the line. India burn a review.

10.42

Shorter and on middle, Mitchell nudges it from the crease in front of square on the leg side. Rinku Singh sprints to his right in the deep but the two was always on and they make it. They think about the third as Rinku fumbles but they stay content with two.

10.31

Drags the length back, slower through the air, on middle, Ravindra checks his shot as he looks to push it down the ground. Chips it over the bowler's head for a single.

10.24

FOUR! Extraordinary shot! Fuller and wider, on off, Ravindra reaches out and gets low as well. He drags it with a flat bat back over the bowler's head. One hand comes off the bat handle but he clears Varun and the ball races down the ground.

10.21wd

Wide! At 113 kph, going down leg, on the shorter side. Rachin swivels for the pull but misses. A good take by Sanju Samson by moving to his right.

10.21wd

Wide! Pushed across the left-hander again, on a length, Ravindra has a big swing at it but does not connect.

10.10

Pushed through by Varun, on a nagging length, Rachin flashes but misses. His back leg gets dragged out of the crease and Sanju Samson whips the bails off in a flash. The third umpire is called into action but Rachin has plonked his back leg inside the crease before the stumps were broken.

Stumping check! Not an overly excited appeal from Sanju Samson, and Rachin Ravindra looks unbothered. The replays find Rachin to be safe.

Drinks break! Quite an eventful first 10 overs. We have had everything. A wicket-maiden, and as many as 7 overs going for 15 runs or more. New Zealand have come out swinging and maintained that intent through the first half of their batting effort. The batters have been able to hit through the line, and with the dew already settling in, the ball has skimmed quickly across the outfield. The Kiwis will look to keep pushing, with plenty of batting still to come. Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakaravarthy both have a couple of overs left, and those 4 overs will be crucial if India are to keep the tourists to a manageable total.

Runs Scored 12 Runs

Score after 10 overs : 111/3

D Mitchell12 (6)

R Ravindra36 (19)

A Sharma1-0-12-0

9.64

FOUR MORE! Same shot, same result! Abhishek Sharma tries the yorker but misses by an inch. Daryl Mitchell manages to get underneath it and drills it past the bowler and once again Hardik Pandya can only be a spectator as it zips to the fence for another boundary.

9.54

FOUR! Powered away! Flatter, full and on middle and leg, Daryl Mitchell gets his front leg out of the way and thumps it down the ground to the long on fence. Hardik Pandya is not too far away, but did not bother chasing that as it was always going to the fence.

9.41

Flighted, full and around off, Rachin drags it off the inner half of the bat to wide long on for a run.

9.31

Goes a bit short and on middle, Daryl Mitchell works it towards long on for a single.

9.20

Fires in a yorker, outside off, Daryl Mitchell jams it out to the right of the bowler, where Sharma runs to that side to stop the run.

9.12

Floated, full and on off, turns away, Daryl Mitchell slices it away wide of long off for a couple of runs. 100 up for New Zealand!

The sixth bowling option of the night. Here's Abhishek Sharma.

Runs Scored 15 Runs

Score after 9 overs : 99/3

D Mitchell1 (1)

R Ravindra35 (18)

K Yadav2-0-19-1

8.61

A bit short and on middle, Daryl Mitchell stays back and works it through square leg for one. 15 runs and a wicket from the over.

Daryl Mitchell makes his way out to the centre. A slip and a leg slip for the new batter.

8.5W

OUT! TAKEN! Kuldeep Yadav has the last laugh here. He tosses up a googly, full and on middle, turns away a bit. Glenn Phillips looks to slog it across the line but only manages a top edge due to the spin. It lobs up in the air and Hardik Pandya at point settles under it to take a good catch. Phillips walks back for 19 off 13, and the 55-run stand has been broken now.

8.44

FOUR! Fine shot! This is short again and just outside off, Glenn Phillips backs away to make room and slaps it powerfully through extra cover for four more runs.

8.30

Floated, short and on middle, turning into the batter, Glenn Phillips has no room to work with and pats it to the right of the bowler.

8.24

FOUR! Streaky, but they all count! Kuldeep Yadav sees the batter back away and fires this full, outside off. Glenn Phillips throws his bat at it and gets a thin outside edge past the keeper and the ball races to the third man fence for a boundary. The 50-run stand comes up!

8.16

SIX! Top shot! Flighted, full and on middle, Glenn Phillips stretches out in front to get to the pitch of the ball and hits it through the line to tonk it over the bowler's head for his first biggie of the night.

Runs Scored 16 Runs

Score after 8 overs : 84/2

R Ravindra35 (18)

G Phillips5 (8)

V Chakaravarthy2-0-18-1

7.66

SIX! Into the stands! Tossed up, full and just outside off. Rachin Ravindra goes down on one knee and drags his slog sweep. He connects it right from the middle as the ball sails over the deep mid-wicket fence for another biggie. With that, Rachin also goes past 2000 T20I runs.

7.51

Another short delivery, on middle, angling in, Glenn Phillips stays back and clips it through square leg for one.

7.41

Pushed through quicker, short and outside off, Rachin Ravindra reaches out and cuts it to deep point for another run. This is good bowling, as Varun is keeping it out of the arc of the batter.

7.31

Dragged back and on on middle, Phillips hangs back and pulls it to deep mid-wicket for a run.

7.21

Goes short again and around off, Rachin punches it to sweeper cover for a single.

7.16

SIX! Rachin Ravindra is dealing in sixes here. Varun Chakaravarthy drops it short and on off. Rachin picks up the length in a trice and hammers it over the deep square leg fence for a 94-METER biggie.

Runs Scored 4 Runs

Score after 7 overs : 68/2

G Phillips3 (6)

R Ravindra21 (14)

K Yadav1-0-4-0

6.60

Shorter in length and on off, turns in, Glenn Phillips backs away and stabs it but straight to extra cover. Just 4 runs off Kuldeep's first over. Tidy!

6.51

Flatter, full and on leg, Rachin clips it to deep mid-wicket for one.

6.41

Drags his length back, on off, Phillips punches it to long off for another run.

6.31

Flighted, full and on leg, turns away a bit, Rachin Ravindra stays back and clips it through square leg for a run.

6.21

Floated, full and on off, Glenn Phillips taps it towards cover for a quick single.

6.10

Good start! A slider, full and around off, skids through. Glenn Phillips stays back to push it away but misses it.

Kuldeep Yadav comes into the attack, replacing Varun Chakaravarthy. Ishan Kishan is back on the field.

Runs Scored 19 Runs

Score after 6 overs : 64/2

R Ravindra19 (12)

G Phillips1 (2)

H Rana2-1-19-1

5.60

Pitched up and on middle, angling into the pads, Rachin Ravindra flicks it straight to mid-wicket. 19 runs off the over, and the Kiwis end the Powerplay on 64/2.

5.56

SIX! BOOM! Rachin Ravindra is making full use of the last over of the Powerplay. This is an off-cutter, full and on middle and leg. Rachin picks it up early, clears his front leg away and smokes it over the deep mid-wicket fence for half a dozen more.

Looks like the ball has been lost in the moat beyond the deep mid-wicket fence. The fourth umpire is out with the box of balls. The replacement has been picked and we are ready to go.

5.51wd

WIDE! Good length but angling down the leg side, Rachin Ravindra tries to heave it away but misses. Called a wide.

5.44

FOUR! Gets it through! Much fuller in length and just around off, Ravindra extends his arms to reach out for it and drives it crisply through covers as the ball blazes to the fence for a boundary.

5.32

Back of a length and around leg, Rachin Ravindra nudges it away wide of deep square leg and comes back for the second run.

5.26

SIX! BANG! Rachin Ravindra gets going now. A slower one, but right in the slot of the batter, on middle. Rachin picks it up early, gets under it and dispatches it over the long on fence for a biggie. 50 up for the Kiwis!

5.10

7 balls bowled, still no runs conceded from Rana! This is full and on middle, angling in sharply. Rachin Ravindra has a slog across the line but misses and gets hit on the pads.

Runs Scored 2 Runs

Score after 5 overs : 45/2

G Phillips1 (2)

R Ravindra1 (6)

V Chakaravarthy1-0-2-1

4.60

Out comes the googly, on a nagging length, Phillips blocks it out from the crease.

4.51

Shorter and on off, Rachin waits back and punches it to long off for a single.

4.40

Tossed up, on off, Ravindra strokes it off the front foot to cover.

Ishan Kishan is going off the field now. It looks like he has hurt his left wrist and is getting treatment from the physio.

4.31

Good effort! Sliding on with the arm, shorter and on middle, Phillips presses back and nudges it wide of mid-wicket. Ishan moves to his left swiftly and dives to get to the ball. He gets rid of the ball quickly but his throw lacks venom and that allows Glenn to make his ground.

Both the openers are back to the hut now. That brings Glenn Phillips out to the middle.

4.2W

OUT! CAUGHT! Just like Rana, Chakaravarthy also strikes with his second ball. A high-risk shot from Tim Seifert and he pays the price. Floated up, on the fuller side, on middle and leg. Seifert gets the front leg out of the way and has a slog across the line. Ends up slicing it in the air towards mid-wicket, where Ishan Kishan settles under the steepler and completes the catch whilst tumbling backwards. 24(13) for Tim. India strike back with a couple of quick blows.

4.10

Pushed through first up, on a length, on middle. Tim brings his bat out in front and defends it out.

Time for some mystery spin as Varun Chakaravarthy comes into the attack.

Runs Scored 0 Runs

Score after 4 overs : 43/1

R Ravindra0 (4)

T Seifert24 (11)

H Rana1-1-0-1

3.60

WICKET-MAIDEN OVER! Harshit Rana bangs in a sharp bouncer, on middle, takes off sharply, Rachin Ravindra sways away to play the upper cut but misses. Superb from Rana.

3.50

Three dots in a row! Touch fuller and outside off, Rachin Ravindra uses his feet, reaches out and smears it but fails to beat extra cover once again.

3.40

Back of a length and around off, Rachin Ravindra opens the face of his bat and punches it well but straight towards extra cover.

3.30

Good-length delivery, on off, Rachin Ravindra pushes it towards extra cover.

Harshit Rana gets Devon Conway yet again, albeit in a different format. Rachin Ravindra walks out to bat at number 3.

3.2W

OUT! TAKEN! Harshit Rana strikes with his second ball. The slower ball does the trick. Off-cutter, full and outside off, Conway extends his hands to play the lofted drive on the off side. Gets it right off the toe end of the blade and it is skied towards wide mid off. Hardik Pandya moves to his right and takes the catch after a couple of bobbles. Conway departs for 19 (9) and New Zealand are now 43/1.

3.10

How did that miss the stumps? Skidding through, jagging back in, on middle and leg. Conway advances but then has to adjust to the length. He presents a straight bat to defend but plays down the wrong line and the ball sails over the stumps.

So, two 18-run overs from Arshdeep Singh. We have the first bowling change as Harshit Rana replaces Hardik Pandya.

Runs Scored 18 Runs

Score after 3 overs : 43/0

T Seifert24 (11)

D Conway19 (7)

A Singh2-0-36-0

2.64

FOUR! A poor delivery, and it gets the treatment. 18 runs off Arshdeep's first over and 18 more from his second. It looks like Arshdeep has woken up on the wrong side of the bed today. Banged in short, around the left shoulder, Tim pivots on the back foot and pulls it down to deep fine leg for a boundary. New Zealand are off to a flying start. They are 43/0 after 3 overs.

2.54

FOUR! Make that a hat-trick of fours! Arshdeep spears it in full, on middle and leg. Seifert gives himself room by moving to the leg side. He gets his hands through the ball quickly and drills it between cover and mid off for another boundary.

2.44

FOUR! Back-to-back boundaries. Arshdeep has now conceded 28 runs in his first 10 balls of the night. Singh takes pace off and goes into the surface, over middle. Seifert picks the slower one and he waits on it before pulling it towards the vacant deep square leg fence for four more.

2.34

FOUR! Up and over! Cross-seam delivery, pushed across the right-hander, on a length, Seifert gets the front leg out of the way and clubs it over the man at mid on for a four.

2.21

A bit of lift off the deck, angled in, on a back of a length, on middle. Conway jams it out in front of mid-wicket for one.

2.11

Arshdeep digs it in short, over middle. Seifert swivels and rides the bounce. He pulls it wide of deep backward square leg and there are two runs for the taking but Seifert slips at the bowling end and they settle with a single.

Will we have the first bowling change? No, Arshdeep Singh has been trusted with another over.

Runs Scored 7 Runs

Score after 2 overs : 25/0

T Seifert7 (6)

D Conway18 (6)

H Pandya1-0-7-0

1.61

Good running! Skidding through, on a good length, on off, Tim pats it in front of mid on and pinches a quick single.

1.52

Miscued but safe! A bit fuller, shaping away, on off, Tim swings for the hills. Gets a leading edge that sails over backward point for a couple of runs.

1.44

FOUR! Not a clean connection but Seifert will take it. On top of off, on a back of a length, Tim walks across the stumps and gets inside the line of the ball. He attempts the scoop and gets it more of the edge towards deep fine leg for a four.

1.30

A big swing and a miss! Pandya hurls it on a short of a length, outside off, Seifert charges down the track to slam it back over the bowler's head but fails to connect.

1.20

On a back of a length, on off, Seifert taps it off the back foot to cover.

1.10

Whoa! That caught Seifert by surprise. Hardik hits the deck hard, on off, Tim gets his hands high to tap it back on the deck but the ball kicks up and he takes the bottom hand off the handle to avoid getting his fingers jammed against the bat handle. Fends it down on the off side.

Hardik Pandya comes from the other end to try and contain this fiery Kiwi start.

Runs Scored 18 Runs

Score after 1 overs : 18/0

D Conway18 (6)

T Seifert0 (0)

A Singh1-0-18-0

0.64

FOUR! 18 runs off the over. A highly productive first over for New Zealand. Arshdeep gets it a bit too full, on off, Conway leans into the half-volley and creams it between cover and mid off for the third four of the over.

0.56

SIX! All the way! Singh pushes the length up, outside off, Devon stays leg side of the ball and gets the width to work with. He opens the bat face and carves it over deep backward point for a biggie.

0.40

In and around the off pole, on a good length, Devon blocks it out solidly.

0.34

FOUR! Ishan Kishan's effort goes in vain. This is even fuller and a bit wide on off, Conway extends his hands and drives it in front of square. Kishan sprints and tumbles to his left in the deep to push the ball away from the fence. He gets a hand to it but it is not enough as the ball trickles into the ropes.

0.24

FOUR! Lovely shot. Conway and the Kiwis are off the mark. Closer to the off stump, on a length, Devon lets the ball come to him and plays it right under his eyes. Plays a punchy drive through point and beats the fielder in the deep to his left for a four.

0.10

Beats the bat straight away! Arshdeep pitches it up and gets the ball to move away in the air, outside off. Conway leans on and drives away from his body but is beaten on the outside edge.

We are all set to begin! It's a sea of Blue here in Raipur with a few Black spots in between, and the fans are still coming in to fill out this massive stadium. Suryakumar Yadav leads the Indian players out to the middle, as they spread out and take up their respective field positions. Devon Conway and Tim Seifert are the two openers for New Zealand. Arshdeep Singh has the new ball in hand and is raring to go. Two slips in place. Let's play...

New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner says that they would have bowled first as well. Mentions that the dew has settled in already, and it is not going to get any better. Shares that every time you play a quality side like India, there are lessons to be learnt. Admits that they need to be clever with their plans as a bowling unit. Informs that they have made 3 changes for this game.

India captain Suryakumar Yadav says that they will bowl first. Adds that there is already dew and they haven't chased much in recent games, so they want to challenge themselves. Mentions that the wicket looks good and it was the same one that was used in the ODI series against South Africa. Says that in every game they try to improve in all aspects and want to continue doing the same. Informs that they have made a couple of changes. Axar got hit in the last game and Bumrah is resting. Harshit and Kuldeep come into the team.

New Zealand (Playing XI) - Tim Seifert (WK) (In for Tim Robinson), Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner (C), Zakary Foulkes (In for Kristian Clarke), Matt Henry (In for Kyle Jamieson), Ish Sodhi and Jacob Duffy.

India (Playing XI) - Sanju Samson (WK), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Harshit Rana (In for Jasprit Bumrah), Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav (In for Axar Patel) and Varun Chakaravarthy.

Toss - 'Tails' is the call from Mitchell Santner but it has come down as a Head. India elect to bowl first.

Pitch report -  Former Indian wicket-keeper batter Deep Dasgupta informs that this is India's 100th T20I at home. Shares that the match will be played on the centre wicket, which results in the square boundaries measuring 68 metres on either side and the straight hit being 75 metres. Former Kiwi quick, Simon Doull, observes the patchy nature of the surface and jokes that the surface looks a bit like the way his head did before his hair transplant. Doull expects the pitch to play better than it looks, though it could be a touch low and slow early on. Mentions that historically, this has been a relatively low-scoring venue in T20 cricket, although it did host a high-scoring ODI recently, with over 700 runs scored here. Feels that the spinners will be in the game, considering the boundary dimensions. Deep says that although there are a few cracks, there is a sheen on the surface, which could result in the ball coming onto the bat nicely.

Only one T20I has been played at this venue, which is admittedly a very small sample size. However, there are some interesting trends to note. 6 out of the 9 night games played here last year during the Chhattisgarh Premier League were won by the side chasing. While that tournament took place in June, more recently, just last December, it was at this very venue that South Africa successfully chased down 359 against India in an ODI. Dew will once again be a factor for both teams to contend with, but they won't mind too much if the toss doesn't go their way, as this presents a good challenge to test themselves in dewy conditions. Stick around for the toss and team news.

New Zealand, on the other hand, have their task cut out in trying to contain this power-packed Indian batting unit. That said, they will welcome the challenge of testing themselves against one of the most aggressive line-ups likely to feature at the World Cup. In a blow to the Kiwis' resources ahead of the tournament, Adam Milne, who looked sharp during the SA20, has been ruled out with a hamstring injury. Kyle Jamieson has been named as his replacement, and he will be keen to make the most of the remaining four games and stake his claim.

India continued with their fearless approach in the opening game, with Abhishek Sharma once again leading the charge at the top. However, as the series progresses and with a World Cup on the horizon, the key question will be how India fare on days when Abhishek doesn't fire, and whether others in the batting order can step up and shoulder the responsibility.

Hello, and a warm welcome, everyone! The games come thick and fast in this series, and after just a day's break, the second T20I in Raipur is upon us. India lead the five-match series and will be keen to build on that momentum, while New Zealand will be eager to hit back quickly.

... MATCH DAY ...

Match intro - From Nagpur, the caravan now journeys to the city of Raipur for the second of five T20Is. The first punch has been landed by India, and New Zealand will be looking to respond strongly at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, much like they did in the ODI leg of the tour. New Zealand -  New Zealand bowled well in patches in the series opener, but there were far too many freebies as India powered their way to 238. Losing a couple of wickets early in the chase only made their task tougher, and they eventually fell well short. In a game where 428 runs were scored, Jacob Duffy stood out, going at under 7 an over and bowling 14 dot balls in his four overs. This is not the full make-up of the pace attack New Zealand are likely to field at the World Cup. Kyle Jamieson and Kristian Clarke are not part of the World Cup squad, but they will be keen to hone their skills in Indian conditions, especially with Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson working their way back from injury. The possibility of an eleventh-hour call-up cannot be ruled out. It was a rare off day with the ball for Mitchell Santner, while Ish Sodhi was also taken to task. With the bat, Glenn Phillips had a positive outing, but Daryl Mitchell coming in at number six was perhaps a move to give Mark Chapman a hit-out, given he wasn't part of the ODI series. New Zealand are also missing Finn Allen and James Neesham due to franchise commitments, and they will hope to piece things together better as the series moves to Raipur. India -  As for India, a win always boosts team confidence, and this one did so on an individual level as well. Suryakumar Yadav showed signs of returning to form after a quiet 2025, while Rinku Singh, back in the side after missing the South Africa series, played the finisher's role to perfection. With batting depth stretching down to number eight, India's no-holds-barred approach continued, led once again by Abhishek Sharma. With the ball, it wasn't a completely clinical outing for India. They were taken on by Glenn Phillips, and the catching left room for improvement, with multiple chances going down. A slight concern is Axar Patel, who suffered a cut to his left hand while attempting a catch. India will hope it's nothing serious and that Axar can be rested as a precaution if needed. They don't have a like-for-like spin-bowling all-rounder on the bench, though they do have specialist spin options in Ravi Bishnoi and Kuldeep Yadav. There has been just one T20I so far in Raipur, back in 2023, between India and Australia. How the conditions play out, and which side adapts quicker to them, will be fascinating to watch. Who are you rooting for