Hamilton, Nov 2026 : Ishan Kishan and captain Shreyas Iyer struck impressive half-centuries to guide India to 191/8 in the fifth and final T20I against New Zealand at Seddon Park in Hamilton on Sunday.
Kishan scored 61 off 32 balls, while Iyer made 50 from 30 deliveries as the pair stitched together a 93-run partnership for the third wicket. Their stand rescued India after the visitors lost openers Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson cheaply.
Naman Dhir contributed 33 and Nitish Kumar Reddy added 22, combining for a 46-run partnership for the sixth wicket. However, India’s progress was checked by regular dismissals as New Zealand’s bowlers restricted the visitors from crossing the 200-run mark.
Adam Milne led the home side’s attack with an impressive 4-19 from his four overs. Nathan Smith and Blair Tickner claimed two wickets each.
India were asked to bat first after losing the toss for the first time in the series. The New Zealand seamers made early use of movement off the pitch, putting the visitors under pressure during the powerplay.
Abhishek was dismissed for one in the second over, caught off Milne, while Samson’s difficult innings ended in the fourth over. The wicketkeeper-batter managed just four runs from 10 balls before edging a leading delivery to the cover fielder.
With India struggling at 50/2 after six overs, Kishan and Iyer steadied the innings before accelerating through the middle overs. Their 93-run stand from 43 balls transformed India’s position and put pressure on the New Zealand attack.
Kishan took on captain Mitchell Santner after the powerplay and benefited from a close call when Finn Allen attempted a spectacular catch at long-on. Allen tried to complete the catch after stepping beyond the boundary, but Kishan survived as the effort was ruled unsuccessful.
The two batters continued to attack, with India making a significant move in the 10th over when Michael Bracewell conceded 27 runs. Tickner dropped Iyer during the over, giving the Indian captain another opportunity to build his innings.
New Zealand, however, fought back through their seamers. Tickner removed Kishan, who was caught at deep mid-wicket, while Smith dismissed Iyer with a short delivery that was caught by Tim Seifert.
Smith also had a chance to dismiss Tilak Varma when the batter was initially caught at point, but the delivery was ruled a no-ball. Varma was dismissed later in the same over, caught and bowled by Smith.
Dhir and Nitish kept India’s scoring rate moving with a 46-run stand. Dhir received another reprieve when Milne dropped him at sweeper cover in the 16th over, but Tickner eventually removed him in the 19th.
Nitish was dismissed in the final over, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar managed a boundary before India finished at 191/8.
Despite the strong contributions from Kishan and Iyer, India may feel they missed an opportunity to post a bigger total after their middle-order partnership. New Zealand’s disciplined bowling at the death helped keep the target below 200.
Brief Scores:
India: 191/8 in 20 overs (Ishan Kishan 61, Shreyas Iyer 50, Naman Dhir 33, Nitish Kumar Reddy 22; Adam Milne 4-19, Nathan Smith 2-28) against New Zealand.
