Nagpur: The road to the 2026 T20 World Cup began with a bang for the Men in Blue. On Wednesday night, India defeated New Zealand by 48 runs in the first T20I at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, taking a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
Abhishek Sharma’s Carnage Put into bat, India posted a mammoth total of 238/7, their highest-ever T20 score against the Black Caps. The architect of this destruction was opener Abhishek Sharma, who blasted 84 runs off just 35 balls. His innings, laced with 8 sixes and 5 fours, completely demoralized the Kiwi bowling attack inside the Powerplay.
While skipper Suryakumar Yadav chipped in with a steady 32, it was Rinku Singh who provided the final flourish. The southpaw remained unbeaten on 44 off 20 balls, ensuring India crossed the 230-run mark.
Kiwis Falte in Chase Chasing 239 was always going to be a tall order. New Zealand started poorly, losing Devon Conway for a duck in the first over. However, Glenn Phillips fought a lone battle, scoring a blistering 78 off 40 balls. He found some support from Mark Chapman (39), but the asking rate kept climbing.
India’s spinners spun a web in the middle overs. Varun Chakravarthy (2/37) was the pick of the bowlers, breaking key partnerships, while Shivam Dube picked up two wickets in the death overs to seal the game.
What Next? With this win, India has sent a strong warning to the world ahead of the mega tournament starting February 7. The teams now travel to Raipur for the 2nd T20I on Friday.
