New Zealand beat India by seven wickets with 12 balls remaining in the fifth T20I at Seddon Park, reaching 195/3 after restricting the visitors to 191/8. Tim Seifert anchored a chase built on substantial partnerships, ensuring India's recovery from early trouble was not enough. See the full scorecard.
Milne checks India despite Kishan and Iyer revival
New Zealand chose to bowl, and Adam Milne immediately justified that decision. Abhishek Sharma was caught by Daryl Mitchell for 1, before Sanju Samson fell for 4 to a catch by Michael Bracewell. India were 19/2 at 3.1 overs, with both openers removed before they could establish a platform.
Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer transformed the innings with a 93-run third-wicket stand. Kishan made 61 from 32 balls, striking five fours and five sixes, while Iyer contributed 50 from 23 with three fours and four sixes. Their boundary-hitting gave India a route to a substantial total despite the early losses.
Blair Tickner broke that stand when Kishan was caught by Nathan Smith at 112/3 in the 11th over. Smith then removed Iyer, caught by Tim Seifert, and took a return catch to dismiss Tilak Varma for 6. Those wickets interrupted India's acceleration and left them 133/5 at 13.4 overs.
Naman Dhir and Nitish Kumar Reddy rebuilt through a sixth-wicket partnership of 46. Dhir supplied 33 from 23 balls before falling to Tickner, while Reddy made 22 from 17. Their contributions kept the innings moving, but Milne returned to dismiss Reddy and Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the final over.
Milne finished with 4/19 from four overs, the outstanding return in an attack whose other wicket-takers were Smith and Tickner. His early breakthroughs and late wickets prevented India from fully capitalising on their middle-order revival.
Seifert and Phillips put the chase beyond India
India struck early in reply when Arshdeep Singh had Finn Allen caught by Kishan for 2, leaving New Zealand 9/1. Seifert and Daryl Mitchell, however, prevented that breakthrough from becoming a sustained opening.
Their second-wicket stand added 73, with Mitchell hitting four sixes in his 29 from 16 balls. Varun Chakaravarthy ended his contribution at 82/2 in the ninth over, Abhishek taking the catch, but India could not follow it with another quick wicket.
Seifert instead added 86 with Glenn Phillips, carrying New Zealand deep into the chase. Seifert's 93 from 50 balls contained 11 fours and five sixes before Reddy bowled him at 168/3 in the 16th over.
Phillips remained to complete the job, finishing unbeaten on 65 from 38 deliveries with eight fours and three sixes. His unbroken stand of 27 with Bevon Jacobs closed out a convincing home win.
The India tour of New Zealand 2026 nevertheless ended with India winning the five-match series 3–2.