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Tilak Varma and Nitish Kumar Reddy shared an unbeaten 69-run stand as India chased 181 to beat New Zealand by 4 wickets in Christchurch and take a 2-0 lead.
Updated: October 26, 2026, 10:15 IST
Quick Read
- India finished on 181/6 in 19.5 overs, chasing New Zealand’s 180/5, with one ball left.
- Tilak Varma made 51 not out off 26 balls and Nitish Kumar Reddy made 26 not out off 13 balls.
- Their unbeaten 69-run stand for the seventh wicket is India’s highest in men’s T20Is.
India were in deep trouble. At 70/5, the chase looked gone. At 112/6 in the 15th over, it looked worse. Then two young batters changed the match. Tilak Varma and Nitish Kumar Reddy stayed calm, found the gaps, and finished the job with one ball to spare.
The win gives India a 2-0 lead in the series. It came two days after the first T20I, when India pulled off a record chase of 226. This time the target was smaller, but the path to it was much harder.
How the chase turned around
The top order failed. India lost five wickets for 70 runs. The middle order could not steady the innings either, and the sixth wicket fell at 112 in the 15th over. New Zealand had control. Their bowlers were on top, and the asking rate kept climbing.
Tilak Varma refused to panic. He scored 51 not out off just 26 balls. That is fast scoring under pressure. He picked his moments, hit the loose balls hard, and kept the strike moving when the field spread out.
Nitish Kumar Reddy gave him strong support. He made 26 not out off 13 balls. He did not try to be the hero. He rotated the strike, hit the bad balls, and let Tilak lead the chase. Together they added 69 runs without losing a wicket.
That stand is now India’s highest seventh-wicket partnership in men’s T20Is. It beats the old record of 63 runs, set by Dinesh Karthik and Krunal Pandya. Records like this are rare because the seventh wicket usually comes in late, with little time left. Tilak and Reddy had time, and they used it well.
Also read: India vs New Zealand 1st T20I: Record 226 Chase
Phillips and Jacobs set up New Zealand’s 180/5
New Zealand also had a bad start. They were 41/3 early in their innings. Three wickets down that early usually means a low total. But Glenn Phillips and Bevon Jacobs rebuilt the innings.
Phillips scored 70 off 43 balls. Jacobs scored 58 off 46 balls. Their stand was worth 116 runs. It turned a weak start into a fighting total of 180/5.
That total looked strong at the halfway mark. On most nights, 180 is enough to defend. New Zealand’s bowlers then backed it up by taking early wickets. For most of the chase, the plan worked. It failed only in the last few overs, when Tilak and Reddy took the match away.
Santner’s 4/21 and Arshdeep’s reply
Mitchell Santner was New Zealand’s best bowler. He took 4 wickets for 21 runs. His victims were Abhishek Sharma, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel and Dhir. Four wickets in a T20I is a big haul. Doing it against India, more than once, is a first.
Santner is now the first bowler with multiple four-wicket hauls against India in men’s T20Is. That record shows how well he reads Indian batters. He bowls with control, changes his pace, and forces mistakes.
For India, Arshdeep Singh took 2 wickets for 33 runs. He kept New Zealand’s total in check at key moments. Without his wickets, Phillips and Jacobs could have pushed the total past 190, and the chase would have been even harder.
What the 2-0 lead means
A 2-0 lead changes the series. India can now win the series with one more victory, and New Zealand must win every remaining match to stay alive. The pressure has shifted.
The bigger story is the depth India showed. Two matches, two very different wins. In the first T20I, the top order chased a record 226. In the second, the lower middle order rescued a broken chase. A team that can win both ways is hard to beat.
For Tilak Varma, this was another sign of his growth as a finisher. For Nitish Kumar Reddy, it was proof that he can handle pressure at this level. Both batters will remember this night in Christchurch, and so will New Zealand’s bowlers.
FAQs
What was the final score of India vs New Zealand 2nd T20I?
New Zealand scored 180/5 in 20 overs. India replied with 181/6 in 19.5 overs and won by 4 wickets, with one ball left.
Who were India’s heroes in the chase?
Tilak Varma scored 51 not out off 26 balls and Nitish Kumar Reddy scored 26 not out off 13 balls. Their unbeaten 69-run stand for the seventh wicket won the match.
What record did the Tilak-Reddy stand set?
Their 69-run stand is India’s highest seventh-wicket partnership in men’s T20Is. It beats the previous record of 63 runs by Dinesh Karthik and Krunal Pandya.
Also read: India vs NZ 2nd T20I Preview: Christchurch
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