Visakhapatnam: A Night to Forget for India

That India vs. New Zealand match on January 28, 2026? Total Kiwi show. Even though India was up 3-0 in the series, New Zealand came out swinging, crushing India by 50 runs.

On a super flat pitch, New Zealand racked up a huge 215 for 7. India’s bowling looked weak, and they made some bad calls. When India tried to catch up, they just couldn’t do it, getting bowled out for 165 in just 18.4 overs, even with Shivam Dube trying his best.

Seifert Starts Strong

Tim Seifert came out firing for New Zealand, just smashing the ball. He scored 62 off 36 balls, with 7 fours and 3 sixes. He totally bossed the start of the game, which helped them get a big score.

Seifert went after India’s fast bowlers, especially Harshit Rana, who couldn’t handle the bounce. Devon Conway played it cool, scoring 44 off 23 balls. Together, they got New Zealand to 100 runs in just 8.2 overs.

Middle Overs Get Shaky, but Kiwis Recover

When India brought on the spinners, things got a little better for them. Kuldeep Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah got a few quick wickets, with New Zealand losing 6 wickets for 63 runs. Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, and Mark Chapman all got out trying to score fast.

But even though India took wickets, they couldn’t stop the runs completely.

Mitchell and Santner Finish the Job

Just when it looked like New Zealand might not even get to 200 runs, Daryl Mitchell stepped up. He scored 39 not out off 18 balls, hitting some clean shots.

Mitchell Santner then chipped in with some late runs and later did great with the ball. New Zealand smashed 47 runs in the last 3 overs, including 19 off one Bumrah over.

They ended up with 215 for 7, their second-highest score against India in T20s.

India’s Chase Falls Apart

India’s attempt to catch up started terribly. Abhishek Sharma got out on the first ball, and Suryakumar Yadav didn’t last long either. India was in big trouble at 9 for 2.

Sanju Samson messed up again, scoring 24 off 15 balls before Santner got him out. Then Hardik Pandya got out cheaply. India was in deep trouble.

Dube Tries to Save the Day

Shivam Dube was the only one who looked good for India. He smashed 65 off 23 balls, including 7 huge sixes.

Dube went after Ish Sodhi, and for a bit, it looked like India might have a chance. In just 15 balls he got to his 50. But then he got run out, and that was pretty much the end for India

After Dube was out, nobody else did much, and India got bowled out with 8 balls left.

Santner: The Real MVP

Seifert got the award for best player, but Mitchell Santner was the guy who really changed the game. He took 3 wickets for 26 runs, shutting down India’s middle order.

Santner was also top of Cricinfo’s MVP list, because he did so well with both the bat and the ball.

What It All Means

This was New Zealand’s biggest T20 win over India in India, in terms of runs. It also showed that India struggles when their top batters get out early.

Shivam Dube played a great innings, but it wasn’t enough. For New Zealand, this match showed that they have good players all the way down the team.

My Thoughts

This game showed some problems for India. Their bowling at the end of the innings still isn’t good enough, and they rely too much on individual players instead of having a good plan. Harshit Rana didn’t look ready, and not having a plan for the end of the innings let New Zealand score too many runs.

For India’s batting, Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson keep failing. They get chances, but they don’t do enough.

On the bright side, Shivam Dube has to be in India’s T20 plans going forward. He hits spin really well, which is valuable.

For New Zealand, this win will give them a lot of confidence. Seifert finally played a great innings, and Santner keeps proving why he’s so important.

What’s Next?

In the last T20I, India will probably rest Bumrah and give other bowlers a chance. Maybe India will give the other batters a chance too, but tell them to attack more.

New Zealand will want to keep playing well. Tim Seifert will likely try to start fast again, and Santner will be key to controlling India’s middle overs.

If New Zealand play well again, and India keep trying new things, New Zealand could win again. But India is still the favorite but they need to fix how they start their innings.