Tilak Varma, Nitish Reddy Guide India to Thrilling Four-Wicket Victory Over New Zealand

Brief By Newsbrief / 4:22 PM on 24 Oct 2026

India secured a thrilling four-wicket victory over New Zealand in the second T20 International on Saturday, taking a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.

Batting first, New Zealand posted 180/5 in their allotted 20 overs. Glenn Phillips top-scored with 70 runs, while Bevon Jacobs contributed 58. Their impressive batting performances helped New Zealand recover from early setbacks and set India a challenging target of 181 runs. For India, Arshdeep Singh claimed two wickets, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Prince Yadav and Nitish Kumar Reddy took one wicket each.

India's chase began positively but soon faltered as Sanju Samson, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma and captain Shreyas Iyer departed early. Axar Patel's dismissal left India struggling at 70/5.

Naman Dhir provided a crucial boost with 31 runs off just 17 balls, including three sixes. Tilak Varma and Nitish Reddy then helped revive the chase under pressure.

India eventually reached 181/6 in 19.5 overs, completing a dramatic victory with one ball remaining. The win strengthened India's position in the series as the team moved closer to securing a series triumph.

 

 

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