NEW DELHI: Opener Abhishek Sharma smashed an incendiary 84 to shape India’s 48-run victory over New Zealand in the first Twenty20 International in Nagpur on Wednesday.
Put into bat, India, who will begin defense of their T20 World Cup title next month, accumulated 238-7 with Abhishek hammering eight sixes during their 35-ball blitz.
Glenn Phillips hit a quick 78 but New Zealand finished on 190-7 at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium.
Earlier, Abhishek, currently the world’s highest-ranked T20 batsman, led India’s charge with a blistering knock, appearing unfazed by the early exits of opening partner Sanju Samson and number three Ishan Kishan.
Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav had gone 22 innings without a fifty in the T20 Internationals and although he fell short of the mark yet again, he seemed fluent on his 32. Hardik Pandya (25) departed after one appearance before Rinku Singh provided the late onslaught, plundering 21 runs in the final over against Daryl Mitchell.
Rinku’s unbeaten 44 from 20 balls included three sixes. New Zealand slumped to 52-3 in the seventh over their shaky start to a tight chase.
Phillips counter-attacked spectacularly, hitting six sixes during his 40-ball blitz, and Mark Chapman (39) also stepped on the accelerator, but both fell to spin quickly as India regained control.
Spinner Axar Patel, who removed Phillips, left the field with a bleeding thumb in the 16th over, but India had enough bowling resources to restrict New Zealand well behind their target.
The teams now travel to Raipur for the second T20 of the five-match series on Friday.
Dashboard
INDIA:
S. Samson and Ravindra and Jamieson10
A. Sharma v Jamieson b Sodhi84
I. Kishan v Chapman b Duffy8
S. Yadav v Robinson b Santner32
H. Pandya v Chapman b Duffy25
S. Dubé c&b Jamieson9
R. Singh not absent44
A. Patel v Mitchell b Clarke5
A. Singh not absent6
ADDITIONAL (LB-1, W-14)15
TOTAL (for seven weeks, 20 overs)238
DID NOT BEAT: V. Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah
FALL OF Wickets: 1-18 (Samson), 2-27 (Kishan), 3-126 (Yadav), 4-149 (Sharma), 5-166 (Dube), 6-185 (Pandya), 7-209 (Patel)
BOWLING: Duffy 4-0-27-2 (3w), Jamieson 4-0-54-2 (3w), Clarke 4-0-40-1, Sodhi 3-0-38-1 (1w), Phillips 1-0-20-0 (1w), Santner 3-0-37-1 (1w), Mitchell 1-0-21-0 (1w)
NEW ZEALAND:
D. Conway v Samson b A. Singh0
T. Robinson v Dubé b Varun21
R. Ravindra v Sharma b Pandya1
G. Phillips v Dubé b Patel78
Mr. Chapman and Sharma and Varun39
D. Mitchell c (sub) b Dube28
Mr. Santner not absent20
K. Clarke v R. Singh b Dube0
K. Jamieson not eliminated1
ADDITIONAL (W-2)2
TOTAL (for seven weeks, 20 overs)190
DID NOT DEFEAT: I. Sodhi, J. Duffy
FALL OF Wickets: 1-0 (Conway), 2-1 (Ravindra), 3-52 (Robinson), 4-131 (Phillips), 5-143 (Chapman), 6-189 (Mitchell), 7-189 (Clarke)
BOWLING: A. Singh 4-0-31-1, Pandya 2-0-20-1 (1w), Bumrah 3-0-29-0, Patel 3.3-0-42-1 (1w), Varun 4-0-37-2, Dube 3-0-28-2, Sharma 0.3-0-3-0
RESULT: India won by 48 runs.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH: Abhishek Sharma
Published in Dawn, January 22, 2026
