India wrapped up their T20I tour of New Zealand with a 3-2 series win, but the final night at Seddon Park, Hamilton belonged to the hosts. On Sunday, November 1, Tim Seifert smashed 93 off 50 balls and Glenn Phillips finished unbeaten on 65 as New Zealand chased down 192 with seven wickets and more than two overs to spare.
It was the second heavy defeat in a row for Shreyas Iyer's side, who had raced to a 3-0 lead before New Zealand hit back in Auckland and Hamilton.
India's innings: Kishan and Iyer set the platform
Put in to bat after Mitchell Santner won the toss, India were rescued by a 93-run third-wicket stand between Ishan Kishan and captain Shreyas Iyer. Kishan was at his attacking best, scoring 61 off 32 balls, while Iyer struck a brisk 50 off just 23 deliveries.
Once that pair fell, though, the innings lost momentum. Naman Dhir chipped in with 33 off 23 and Nitish Kumar Reddy added 22, but India could only reach 191 for 8 in their 20 overs. The damage was done by Adam Milne, who used his pace and bounce superbly to finish with 4 for 19 from four overs. Nathan Smith and Blair Tickner picked up two wickets each.
New Zealand's chase: Seifert's blitz
A target of 192 on a quick Hamilton outfield looked gettable, and Seifert made sure of it. The wicketkeeper-batter hit 11 fours and five sixes, taking the Indian attack apart. Arshdeep Singh removed Finn Allen and Varun Chakaravarthy got rid of Daryl Mitchell (29 off 16), but Seifert kept going.
He fell seven short of a hundred, bowled by Nitish Kumar Reddy, who returned tidy figures of 1 for 19. By then the game was almost over. Phillips, fresh from his 107 in Auckland, cracked eight fours and three sixes in his 38-ball 65 not out to seal the win.
Match summary
| Match | 5th T20I, New Zealand vs India |
| Venue and date | Seddon Park, Hamilton – November 1, 2026 |
| Toss | New Zealand won, chose to bowl |
| India | 191/8 in 20 overs (Kishan 61, Iyer 50, Dhir 33) |
| New Zealand | Chased 192 with 7 wickets in hand (Seifert 93, Phillips 65*) |
| Best bowling | Adam Milne 4/19 |
| Result | New Zealand won by 7 wickets |
| Series | India won 3-2 |
How the series played out
- 1st T20I, Christchurch: India won by 4 wickets.
- 2nd T20I, Christchurch: India won by 4 wickets.
- 3rd T20I, Wellington: India won by 6 wickets to clinch the series.
- 4th T20I, Auckland: New Zealand won by 87 runs after Phillips' 107.
- 5th T20I, Hamilton: New Zealand won by 7 wickets.
What it means for India
A series win in New Zealand is never a bad result, and India's young batting group showed plenty of intent across the five games. But the way the tour ended will give the team management something to think about. In both defeats, India's bowlers struggled to control in-form New Zealand batters on smaller grounds, and the middle order did not cash in after strong starts.
The positives are clear too. Kishan's form at the top, Iyer's leadership and fluent strokeplay, and Nitish Kumar Reddy's all-round usefulness all point to options for selectors. Death bowling, however, is an area that will need attention after conceding big totals in back-to-back games.
Standout performers of the series
Across the five matches, Glenn Phillips was New Zealand's most destructive batter, following his 49-ball 107 in Auckland with another match-winning knock in Hamilton. Tim Seifert's 93 was the highest score of the final game and gave the hosts the momentum they had been missing early in the series. For India, Ishan Kishan's aggressive approach at the top kept giving the side fast starts, and Shreyas Iyer showed he can lead from the front with the bat.
The fact that India won the first three games, two of them in tight chases in Christchurch, says plenty about the depth in the squad. Closing out games against a full-strength New Zealand side away from home is never easy, and the late defeats should be read as lessons rather than a crisis.
What happens next
The tour now moves to the one-day leg, where India will hope to regroup quickly after the late T20I slide. New Zealand, meanwhile, will take confidence from finishing strongly, with Seifert, Phillips and Milne all hitting form at the right time.
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