New Zealand beat India by seven wickets in the fifth and final T20I played at Seddon Park in Hamilton on 1 November 2026. The hosts finished the series with two wins but India took home the trophy after winning the first three matches (unassailable 3-0).
New Zealand chased down 192 runs in 18 overs. Tim Seifert and Glenn Phillips were outstanding with the bat as hosts cruised to a comfortable win with two overs to spare.
The result gave New Zealand a positive finish to the series and India were left with questions about their bowling and fielding.
Adam Milne Restricts India to 191 Runs
Earlier, New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner won the toss and elected to bowl first. India struggled to get going in the opening overs as Adam Milne removed Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson early on.
India were 19/2 at that point which put pressure on the middle order but Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer got the innings back on track with an important 93 run partnership.
Kishan made 61 runs attacking innings and Iyer made 50 runs. Naman Dhir scored useful 33 off 23 deliveries.
But India couldn’t find enough momentum at the end of their innings and Adam Milne was New Zealand’s star bowler with 4/19. India made 191/8 in 20 overs.
Tim Seifert and Glenn Phillips Lead New Zealand's Chase
New Zealand lost Finn Allen early in the chase but Tim Seifert made sure that hosts stayed in control. The opener top scored with 93 off just 50 balls (barely missing out on his maiden T20I century).
Seifert hit 11 boundaries and five sixes to put India’s bowling attack under tremendous pressure.
Glenn Phillips was in fine form again with an unbeaten 65 off 38 balls. They took New Zealand close to the target and Phillips finished it off with a boundary at the end of the chase.
New Zealand reached 195/3 in 18 overs and won the match by seven wickets.
India Win Series Despite New Zealand's Late Comeback
India won the first T20I by four wickets on 22 October. They won the next four-wicket match on 24 October before beating New Zealand by six wickets in the third game (27 Oct).
With three wins in a row India had clinched the series before the last two games.
However New Zealand turned the tide by winning the fourth T20I by 87 runs on October 30. They continued their comeback in Hamilton with another convincing win in the fifth match.
The final series score was 3-2 in India’s favour.
Glenn Phillips Finishes as Player of the Series
Glenn Phillips was one of the biggest performers in the five match contest. He scored 341 runs which is a record for most runs in a bilateral T20I series over five matches.
His consistent batting (three half-centuries and a century) made him a major threat to India’s bowling attack.
What the Series Means for Both Teams
India will be happy with the series win (especially start) but losing the last two matches showed weaknesses in bowling and fielding.
New Zealand can take confidence from their strong finish too. The performances in the last two matches showed they could bounce back from tough results.
Once the T20I series is over both teams will now focus on the five match ODI series starting on November 4 in Auckland.
India have the trophy but New Zealand have finished the T20I contest with renewed confidence.
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