India vs New Zealand 1st T20I: India beats New Zealand by 48 runs in T20, takes 1-0 lead in the series

Sports :In the first T20 match played between India and New Zealand in Nagpur, Team India performed brilliantly and won by 48 runs. With this victory, India has taken a 1-0 lead in the five-match T20 series. After winning the toss, New Zealand had decided to bowl first, but the Indian batsmen proved this decision wrong.

Abhishek Sharma changed the course of the match
India’s start was nothing special and Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan returned to the pavilion cheaply in the initial overs. After this, Abhishek Sharma took charge and launched a fierce attack on the New Zealand bowlers. He completed his half-century in just 22 balls and played a stormy innings of 84 runs in 35 balls. His batting thrilled the audience and gave a strong base to the Indian innings.
 

✌️ wickets in the last over 👏

Shivam Dube finishes #TeamIndia‘s bowling effort in fine fashion 🙌

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— BCCI (@BCCI) January 21, 2026

Middle order maintained the pace
Captain Suryakumar Yadav also showed a balance of restraint and aggression and scored 32 runs. After his dismissal, some wickets definitely fell, but Rinku Singh managed the innings till the end. He scored unbeaten 44 runs in 20 balls and along with Hardik Pandya took India’s score to 238. This proved to be a big score for India in T20 cricket.

New Zealand’s start was very bad
The New Zealand team, which came to chase the target of 239 runs, had a very bad start. Devon Conway was out for zero in the very first over, while in the next over, Rachin Ravindra also returned to the pavilion cheaply. The Kiwi team came under pressure due to the initial setbacks. After this, Glenn Phillips batted aggressively and played a quick innings of 78 runs and tried to make a comeback in the match.

performance of indian bowlers
Despite the innings of Glenn Phillips and Mark Chapman, the Indian bowlers maintained their hold on the match. Varun Chakravarthy took wickets at crucial junctures, while Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya created pressure in the initial overs. New Zealand team could score only 190 runs after losing 7 wickets and India won the match.

India’s lead in the series and the challenge ahead
With this victory, India has made a strong start in the series. The team’s balance was visible in both the batting and bowling departments. Now both the teams will face each other in the second T20 match to be held in Raipur on January 23, where New Zealand will try to make a comeback and India will aim to strengthen its lead.