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India vs New Zealand 1st T20I Live Updates: Iyer completes the job, finishing unbeaten on 58 and positions himself as a middle-order mainstay for the Men in Blue in the limited-overs formats with two sixes and a four, including the winning hit over deep midwicket off the last ball of the over that completes an emphatic six-wicket win with an over to spare for the visitors to go 1-0 up in the five T20I series. Preview: After an impressive comeback ODI series win over Australia, India face the challenge of a long New Zealand tour which kicks off with the T20I series in Auckland. It’s the first time India will play a five-match T20I series and it will be a different challenge. However, their first aim will be to improve their record against the Kiwis. They have won just three and lost eight of the 11 T20Is they have played. The last time they toured New Zealand, at the start of 2019, they won the ODI series 4-1 but lost the T20I series 1-2. Kohli has spoken of having intensity right from the word go and that’s what they would be looking to do, get a positive start with a win in Auckland. The Indian top-order which has been in breathtaking form will be the key and they would look to take advantage of a relatively weakened Kiwi bowling attack that is without Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson and Matt Henry who are all out injured. It will be a challenge for the Indian bowlers as well, adapting to the small grounds in the country. However, they will be buoyed by the performance of the pacers in home T20s where they outperformed the spinners. It will be another challenge for the likes of Navdeep Saini, Shardul Thakur, and Shivam Dube but an opportunity as well to take one step forward in locking their places in their side. Bumrah, who looked rusty against Australia, will be looking to get into the groove as soon as possible while Mohammed Shami will look to carry forward the momentum from the Australia series. Kohli has confirmed that KL Rahul will keep wickets and this heats up the competition between Manish Pandey, Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson for the middle-order spot. The Kiwis, on the other hand, would be looking to bounce back after a 0-3 hammering at the hands of Australia in Tests. India start off as slight favourites as they look to continue their winning juggernaut. India squad: Rohit Sharma , Yuzvendra Chahal , Shivam Dube , Shreyas Iyer , Manish Pandey , Rishabh Pant , KL Rahul , Virat Kohli(c) , Ravindra Jadeja , Kuldeep Yadav , Shardul Thakur , Jasprit Bumrah Navdeep Saini , Washington Sundar , Sanju Samson New Zealand squad: Kane Williamson (capt) , Martin Guptill , Ross Taylor , Scott Kuggeleijn , Colin Munro , Colin de Grandhomme , Tom Bruce , Daryl Mitchell , Mitchell Santner , Tim Seifert (wk) , Hamish Bennett, Ish Sodhi , Tim Southee , Blair Tickner .
India vs New Zealand, Highlights, 1st T20I at Auckland, Full Cricket Score: Iyer fifty guides India to six-wicket win
India vs New Zealand 1st T20I Live Updates: Iyer completes the job, finishing unbeaten on 58 and positions himself as a middle-order mainstay for the Men in Blue in the limited-overs formats with two sixes and a four, including the winning hit over deep midwicket off the last ball of the over that completes an emphatic six-wicket win with an over to spare for the visitors to go 1-0 up in the five T20I series.
 "India vs New Zealand, Highlights, 1st T20I at Auckland, Full Cricket Score: Iyer fifty guides India to six-wicket win")
Just the start that the Indians wanted to their tour of New Zealand, collecting a six-wicket victory to grab the 1-0 lead in the T20I series — courtesy a positive spell from Jasprit Bumrah and fifties by KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer. The partnership between Iyer and Manish Pandey, worth 62 off just 34 deliveries at the time of India successfully chasing down the target with an over to spare, will perhaps be the key takeaway for the Men in Blue from this win given how iffy their middle order has looked in recent times. That India were able to keep their calm in a shaky position and complete the chase without the presence of a set Kohli bodes well for them.
That’s it from us today. See you all in a couple of days’ time, with the Men in Blue and the Black Caps facing off at the same venue on the Indian Republic Today!
Highest targets successfully chased down against New Zealand in T20Is:
244, Australia, Auckland, 2018
204, India, Auckland, 2020*
174, South Africa, Hamilton, 2012
Highest targets successfully chased by India in T20I:
208 v West Indies, Hyderabad, 2019
207 v Sri Lanka, Mohali, 2009
204 v New Zealand, Auckland, 2020*
After 19 overs,India 204/4 ( Shreyas Iyer 58 , Manish Pandey 14)
Iyer completes the job, finishing unbeaten on 58 and positions himself as a middle-order mainstay for the Men in Blue in the limited-overs formats with two sixes and a four, including the winning hit over deep midwicket off the last ball of the over that completes an emphatic six-wicket win with an over to spare for the visitors to go 1-0 up in the five T20I series.
After 18 overs,India 186/4 ( Shreyas Iyer 41 , Manish Pandey 13)
Iyer punishes Tickner for starting the 18th oer with two loose deliveries, collecting a boundary off each to make things worse for the Black Caps. Bennett responds with a short ball off the third for a dot. Single off each of the next three deliveries, as Bennett signs off wicketless at the end of his quota, having conceded 36 runs along the way. India need 18 to win off 12 balls.
After 17 overs,India 175/4 ( Shreyas Iyer 31 , Manish Pandey 12)
Southee returns to the attack, and the ball gets pulled over fine leg by Iyer for a six off the second delivery, one that keeps the required rate under check. 10 off the over. The equation stands at 29 off 18 balls for the Men in Blue.
After 16 overs,India 165/4 ( Shreyas Iyer 23 , Manish Pandey 10)
Sodhi bowls out his final over, finishing on an expensive note by conceding 14 off it, including a four and a six to Iyer and Pandey respectively, although he nearly succeeds in getting the former stumped off the second delivery. India need another 39 to win from 24 balls.
After 15 overs,India 151/4 ( Shreyas Iyer 16 , Manish Pandey 3)
Bennett, one of the more economical options for the Black Caps so far, returns to the attack in the 15th over. Single off each of the first two balls, with Iyer calling for a quick second run off the third. Single off each of the next three deliveries, as India breach the 150-run mark in this over, with seven coming off it. India need another 53 to win from 30 balls.
After 14 overs,India 144/4 ( Shreyas Iyer 11 , Manish Pandey 1)
Sodhi replaces Tickner, and there’s an appeal for a stumping against Dube first ball, though the batsmen’s feet are firmly ground behind the crease. Next ball, Dube goes big towards long on, but fails to clear the fence as Southee collects his second catch of the evening off the same bowler to result in the all-rounder’s dismissal for 13. Manish Pandey walks out to bat at 6, a spot below his usual position in limited-overs, and gets off the mark with a single. Superb over from Sodhi, with just two runs coming off it along with the wicket.
OUT! Now Dube’s gone after a promising start, holing out to Southee at long on as India lose their fourth wicket with less than 150 on board. IND 142/4
Dube c Southee b Sodhi 13(9)
After 13 overs,India 142/3 ( Shreyas Iyer 10 , Shivam Dube 13)
Shivam Dube gets going in this over, smashing a four and a six off successive deliveries from Santer to move to double figures. The left-arm spinner finishes with 1/50 after exhausting his quota of overs, with 13 coming off his last over.
After 12 overs,India 129/3 ( Shreyas Iyer 9 , Shivam Dube 1)
One wicket leads to another, and suddenly we have two new Indian batsmen at the crease with Shivam Dube joining Shreyas Iyer. Kohli got a full delivery along leg in the first delivery and went for the flick, but hit straight in the direction of an agile Guptill, who leapt forward and completed a stunning catch to complete the dismissal. Iyer collects his first boundary of the innings off the third delivery, directing the ball towards wide long off. Eight off the over.
OUT! Brilliant catch by Marty Guptill at deep midwicket to dismiss the set India captain, and the Black Caps have suddenly turned things around with two quick wickets! IND 121/3
Kohli c Guptill b Ticknet 45(32)
After 11 overs,India 121/2 ( Virat Kohli (C) 45 , Shreyas Iyer 2)
Santner brought into the attack in place of Tickner with Shreyas Iyer walking out to the crease after KL Rahul’s dismissal. Keeps it tidy in this over, with six runs coming off it. Kohli, meanwhile, is five short of his half-century now, though we don’t expect much celebrations from him at this stage given the task of anchoring the remainder of the chase that lies ahead of him.
Highest stands for India against New Zealand in T20Is:
158 : Shikhar Dhawan/Rohit Sharma, Delhi, 2017
99 : KL Rahul/Virat Kohli, Auckland, 2020*
79 : Shikhar Dhawan/Rohit Sharma, Auckland, 2019
After 10 overs,India 115/2 ( Virat Kohli (C) 42 , )
The pressure on Sodhi’s clearly telling as he concedes two wides off the first five deliveries, but holds his nerve to get rid of Rahul off the last delivery, the Karnataka batsman mishitting the ball while looking for another slog down the ground to offer Southee an easy catch, and depart after building a superb 27-ball 56. India still very much ahead of the asking rate at the halfway mark, thanks to the firework in the last few overs.
OUT! New Zealand finally break the second-wicket stand between Rahul and Kohli, the former getting caught by Southee at long off after a miscued slog off Sodhi that brings his terrific innings to an end. IND 115/2
Rahul c Southee b Sodhi 56(27)
After 9 overs,India 107/1 ( KL Rahul (W) 54 , Virat Kohli (C) 39)
Tickner returns to the attack and nearly collects the prized wicket of Kohli off the second delivery — with Sodhi making a mess of a chance at third man to give the India skipper a reprieve on 33. The fielding woes just don’t seem to end for the Black Caps. A wide and a front-foot no ball by the bowler while bowling the fourth delivery, and Rahul brings up the 100 for Team India as well as his half-century off just 23 balls with a six off the free hit. Single each off the last two balls, with 16 coming off the over. India’s run rate touching nearly 12 at the moment.
After 8 overs,India 91/1 ( KL Rahul (W) 46 , Virat Kohli (C) 33)
Another big over for the Men in Blue, with Santner leaking 14 runs from this one as Rahul continues to dominate the Kiwis, collecting a four and a six off successive deliveries followed by a single off the last delivery to move to 46.
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