India beat New Zealand by four wickets in the first T20I at Hagley Oval, Christchurch, on 22 Oct 2026. Sanju Samson's 67 off 33 balls laid the foundation for the biggest successful run chase India have managed in the format. He was named Player of the Match, and the visitors now lead the five-match series 1-0 after finishing the job with two balls to spare.
New Zealand were put in after India won the toss and chose to field. The hosts posted 225/4, their highest total at home and the joint-highest total ever made against India. Glenn Phillips led the way with an unbeaten 82 off 40 balls. Bevon Jacobs added 31 off 16 and Tim Seifert contributed 24 off 17, giving the home side a formidable platform.
India's bowlers had a hard evening. Michael Bracewell finished with 2/37 and Mitchell Santner took 2/39 for New Zealand, while Mayank Yadav took 1/40 for India. Bhuvneshwar Kumar also bowled in international cricket for the first time in nearly four years. The home total tested the visitors, yet the openers began the reply in a manner that quickly changed the mood of the contest.
Samson and Abhishek Sharma put on 93 for the first wicket. Samson brought up his fifty in 23 balls and finished with 8 fours and 4 sixes. Abhishek was out for 29 off 12 in the last over of the powerplay. Samson was bowled by Santner in the ninth over, but by then India had built a strong position in the chase.
The innings wobbled after the opening stand ended, with India sliding from 93/0 to 122/4 in the 11th over. Captain Shreyas Iyer steadied matters with 42, but he fell in the penultimate over with 15 still needed. Naman Dhir then took charge, finishing unbeaten on 42 off 15 balls. India needed three off the last four balls when Dhir struck Henry over deep fine leg for six. India closed on 230/6 in 19.4 overs.
Samson was asked about his conversations with opening partner Abhishek during the chase. "We do have conversations but it does not make any sense. We just watch the ball and hit it hard," he said. The approach brought rich rewards in Christchurch, where the pair's aggressive start allowed the middle order to keep the required rate within reach even after the wickets began to fall.
The performance adds to a notable year for Samson, who was named Player of the Tournament at the 2026 T20 World Cup. Before that event he had endured a run of low scores in a five-match T20I series against New Zealand. India had just finished a 2-2 T20I series draw against the West Indies. On 18 Oct, Cheteshwar Pujara said consistency is overrated for T20 top-order batters and backed Samson to bounce back. The second T20I is on 24 Oct in Christchurch, followed by matches in Wellington on 27 Oct, Auckland on 30 Oct and Hamilton on 1 Nov.