Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy Rescue India From 70-5 in Christchurch Thriller
Tilak Varma's 50 off 25 balls and an unbeaten record seventh-wicket partnership of 69 runs with Nitish Kumar Reddy powered India to a four-wicket win over New Zealand in Christchurch, giving the visitors a 2-0 lead in the five-match T20I series.
India recovered from 70-5 to beat New Zealand by four wickets in Christchurch, chasing down 181 with three balls to spare and taking a 2-0 lead in the five-match T20I series.
Mitchell Santner’s four wickets had New Zealand in control before Tilak Varma and Nitish Kumar Reddy put on an unbeaten 69 for the seventh wicket, India’s highest partnership for that wicket in T20 internationals. Tilak finished not out on 50 off 25 balls and was named Player of the Match, while Reddy hit the winning runs.
Phillips and Jacobs lift New Zealand to 180-5
India won the toss and chose to bowl. Glenn Phillips top-scored with 70 and Bevon-John Jacobs made 58 as New Zealand reached 180-5. Arshdeep Singh and Bhuvneshwar Kumar took two wickets each, keeping the total within reach without making the chase easy.
Santner puts India in trouble
India lost wickets at key moments in reply, and Santner’s four strikes left them at 70-5, still 111 short. Naman Dhir’s punchy 31 kept the chase alive, but India were 112-6 when Reddy joined Tilak, needing another 69 with only the tail to come.
Tilak and Reddy finish the job
From there, the pair gave New Zealand no further openings. Tilak combined control with well-timed aggression to reach his fifty off 25 balls, and Reddy played the supporting role before sealing the win with three balls left. The unbroken 69-run stand is now India’s best for the seventh wicket in the format.
Tilak climbs the list of not-out finishers
It was the 26th time Tilak has been unbeaten in a successful T20 chase, moving him to second on the all-time list behind James Vince.
Most not-outs in successful T20 chases
- James Vince: 30
- Tilak Varma: 26
- Brendon McCullum: 22
- Martin Guptill: 22
- Shikhar Dhawan: 21
Another big chase in Christchurch
The result is the second-highest successful T20I chase at Christchurch, behind India’s own 230-6 against New Zealand earlier in 2026.
Highest successful T20I chases in Christchurch
- India: 230-6 vs New Zealand, 2026 (target 226)
- India: 181-6 vs New Zealand, 2026 (target 181)
- Pakistan: 177-3 vs Bangladesh, 2022 (target 174)
India now lead the series 2-0 and need one more win to seal it.
