India defeated New Zealand by 46 runs in the fifth and final T20I match played at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on 31 January 2026 to clinch the series 4-1.
The Indian batsmen and bowlers put in a brilliant performance in this last rehearsal before the World Cup 2026.
Match Summary: India vs New Zealand (5th T20)
India’s Batting: Ishan Kishan’s Century Storm
India won the toss and elected to bat first and posted a mountain-like total of 271 runs for the loss of 5 wickets in the stipulated 20 overs.
- Ishan Kishan: The real hero of the match was Ishan Kishan who played an incredible innings of 103 runs off just 43 balls. This was his first century in T20 Internationals.
- Suryakumar Yadav: The captain maintained the tradition and scored 63 runs off 30 balls, which included 6 sixes.
- Hardik Pandya: He played a major role in taking the score to 271 by scoring 42 runs off 17 balls in the end.
New Zealand’s counter-attack: Finn Allen’s resistance
Chasing a huge target, the New Zealand team was bowled out for 225 runs in 19.4 overs.
- Fin Allen: The Kiwi opener fought the Indian bowlers bravely and scored 80 runs off just 38 balls.
- Richan Ravindra: He scored 30 runs but the middle order could not hold on for long against the Indian spinners.
India’s bowling: Arsdeep Singh’s claw
Despite conceding runs early, the Indian bowlers made a brilliant comeback.
- Arshdeep Singh: He made a great comeback and took 5 wickets for 51 runs.
- Axar Patel: The vice-captain took 3 important players for 33 runs.
- Varun Chakraborty: He took one wicket and stopped the run rate.
Series Results and Awards
- Player of the Match: Ishan Kishan (103 runs)
- Player of the Series: Suryakumar Yadav (for his brilliant batting throughout the series)
- Series Result: India won the 5-match series 4-1.
Copyright – Third Party Reference Inline Linking Embedded Video from DailymotionAnalysis: This win by India is proof that they are fully prepared for the T20 World Cup starting in February. Ishan Kishan’s return to form is especially welcome for the team.
Copyright – Third Party Reference Inline Linking Embedded Video from BCCI