Published: Jan 23, 2026, 08:55 AM (IST)
Edited: Jan 23, 2026, 09:48 AM (IST)
India vs New Zealand 2nd T20I: After a strong start to the five-match T20I series, the Indian cricket team will aim to continue its winning momentum when it faces New Zealand in the second match on Friday.
The match will be played at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur.
Under the captaincy of Suryakumar Yadav, India began their preparation for the 2026 T20 World Cup in style. The hosts defeated New Zealand by 48 runs in the first T20I played in Nagpur on Wednesday.
That convincing win has given India an early 1-0 lead in the series and a chance to tighten their grip with another victory.
India’s batting unit was in top form in the opening match. Young opener Abhishek Sharma led the charge with a sensational knock.
The left-hander smashed 84 runs off just 35 balls, hitting five fours and eight sixes. His explosive innings set the platform for a huge total.
India received solid support from the middle order.
Thanks to these efforts, India posted a massive 238 for 7 in their 20 overs.
India’s bowlers backed up the batters with a disciplined performance.
Despite a late fightback, New Zealand were restricted to 190 for 7, falling well short of the target.
For the visitors, Glenn Phillips stood out with the bat. He played a brave knock of 78 off 40 balls, keeping New Zealand in the contest.
However, the lack of support from other batters proved costly in the end.
New Zealand’s top-ranked bowler Jacob Duffy continued his fine form. He finished with figures of 2 for 27 in his four overs.
Duffy’s performance will be key as New Zealand look to bounce back strongly in the second T20I.
India have played only one T20I at the Raipur venue so far. That match came in 2023, when India defeated Australia by 20 runs.
The pitch at the stadium has shown more help for spinners:
This could play an important role in team strategies.
Several players will have personal milestones to watch out for:
With confidence high, India are unlikely to make changes to their playing XI. The team will be aiming for a 2-0 lead in the series.
New Zealand will be desperate to bounce back and level the series. The visitors will be looking for:
They will need a strong all-round performance to counter India’s aggressive approach.
India
Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wicket-keeper), Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (vice-captain), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Ravi Bishnoi
New Zealand
Mitchell Santner (captain), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway (wicket-keeper), Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Bevon Jacobs, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Robinson, Ish Sodhi
