225/10 (19.4)
CRR : 11.44
271/5 (20.0)
CRR : 13.55
India won by 46 runs 🏆
Player of the Match
Player
103(43)
Most Expensive 5-fers in T20Is:
5/51 - Arshdeep Singh (India) vs New Zealand, Thiruvananthapuram, 2026*
5/40 - Alzarri Joseph (West Indies) vs South Africa, Johannesburg, 2023
5/39 - Lungi Ngidi (South Africa) vs England, Bristol, 2022
5/51 - Arshdeep Singh (India) vs New Zealand, Thiruvananthapuram, 2026*
5/40 - Alzarri Joseph (West Indies) vs South Africa, Johannesburg, 2023
5/39 - Lungi Ngidi (South Africa) vs England, Bristol, 2022
Mitchell Santner (New Zealand Captain): “Yeah, I think if you look at the series as a whole, we learned a lot. India are a very strong team, and in their conditions they’re obviously very difficult to beat. It might feel like the ropes have been pushed back a little for the bowlers, but it’s still entertaining cricket at the end of the day.
From our perspective, the main goal of the series was to challenge ourselves and see where we stand. When you’re put under pressure consistently - both bowlers and batters - you can only learn from it. So in that sense, it’s been a really valuable series for us.
The results didn’t go our way, but there are plenty of learnings to take from every game as we now shift focus to the World Cup. One of the big takeaways for our bowling unit is that against quality batters on flat pitches, you have to find ways to limit damage.
Boundaries are always going to come, but it becomes about turning those big overs into 15 or 16 rather than 22 or 24. Especially in modern T20 cricket, when totals like 230 can still be chaseable, managing those key moments is crucial.
Overall, it’s been a great learning experience, and hopefully it puts us in a better place heading into the World Cup.”
From our perspective, the main goal of the series was to challenge ourselves and see where we stand. When you’re put under pressure consistently - both bowlers and batters - you can only learn from it. So in that sense, it’s been a really valuable series for us.
The results didn’t go our way, but there are plenty of learnings to take from every game as we now shift focus to the World Cup. One of the big takeaways for our bowling unit is that against quality batters on flat pitches, you have to find ways to limit damage.
Boundaries are always going to come, but it becomes about turning those big overs into 15 or 16 rather than 22 or 24. Especially in modern T20 cricket, when totals like 230 can still be chaseable, managing those key moments is crucial.
Overall, it’s been a great learning experience, and hopefully it puts us in a better place heading into the World Cup.”
Player of the Match: Ishan Kishan
Ishan Kishan (Player of the Match): "I thought the ball was doing so much but when you look at Abhishek Sharma you just watch the ball and play. That worked well for me.
[on thinking about 100] Even if you are close to your milestone it doesn't matter. In the end we feel like we could have gone big in those overs. When the ball is there you have to go for it. Not to think about the milestones but to think about winning the matches.
I am getting these awards but my focus is on World Cup. What's important is that we continue the same over there."
[on thinking about 100] Even if you are close to your milestone it doesn't matter. In the end we feel like we could have gone big in those overs. When the ball is there you have to go for it. Not to think about the milestones but to think about winning the matches.
I am getting these awards but my focus is on World Cup. What's important is that we continue the same over there."
Player of the Series: Suryakumar Yadav
SuryaKumar Yadav (Player of the Series and India Captain): “It feels really good. It’s been a long year and a long wait for moments like this. I’ve been dreaming about when this time would come again.
And like you said - ‘Why fear when SKY is here?’ - I’ve tried to follow the same things I’ve been doing over the last year. I stuck to my routine, kept trusting the process. I always knew I wasn’t out of form, I was just out of runs. And to have a series like this just before the World Cup feels really special.
Of course, there was a phase where things weren’t going well. For a while, it felt like the sky wasn’t blue. But that’s sport, that’s life. These patches are part of every athlete’s journey.
I took it in my stride. I went back to the drawing board, tried to understand what was going wrong. After the last series, I had a couple of weeks where I spent time with close friends who gave me valuable advice - small things that I needed to keep following.
I’ve seen so many great players go through similar lean phases, not just in cricket but in all sports. I knew my time would come again if I stayed patient and kept doing the right things. I’m really happy with how things have turned out.
As a team, as well, whether you win or lose, you always take something from the game. When we go back, we’ll sit down, analyse these five matches, look at what we’ve done well throughout the year, and build towards the World Cup.
And I completely understand how tough this format is on bowlers. When you’re scoring so many runs, the opposition will always come hard. That’s part of the learning process. We need better plans, better execution, and we’ll keep improving as we move forward.
I’m very happy we’ve found momentum at the right time, and now we’re excited to start our World Cup campaign.”
And like you said - ‘Why fear when SKY is here?’ - I’ve tried to follow the same things I’ve been doing over the last year. I stuck to my routine, kept trusting the process. I always knew I wasn’t out of form, I was just out of runs. And to have a series like this just before the World Cup feels really special.
Of course, there was a phase where things weren’t going well. For a while, it felt like the sky wasn’t blue. But that’s sport, that’s life. These patches are part of every athlete’s journey.
I took it in my stride. I went back to the drawing board, tried to understand what was going wrong. After the last series, I had a couple of weeks where I spent time with close friends who gave me valuable advice - small things that I needed to keep following.
I’ve seen so many great players go through similar lean phases, not just in cricket but in all sports. I knew my time would come again if I stayed patient and kept doing the right things. I’m really happy with how things have turned out.
As a team, as well, whether you win or lose, you always take something from the game. When we go back, we’ll sit down, analyse these five matches, look at what we’ve done well throughout the year, and build towards the World Cup.
And I completely understand how tough this format is on bowlers. When you’re scoring so many runs, the opposition will always come hard. That’s part of the learning process. We need better plans, better execution, and we’ll keep improving as we move forward.
I’m very happy we’ve found momentum at the right time, and now we’re excited to start our World Cup campaign.”
Most runs by the Indian Captain in a T20I Series:
242 - Suryakumar Yadav vs New Zealand, 2026* (5-Matches)
231 - Virat Kohli vs England, 2021 (5-Matches)
183 - Virat Kohli vs West Indies, 2019 (3-Matches)
242 - Suryakumar Yadav vs New Zealand, 2026* (5-Matches)
231 - Virat Kohli vs England, 2021 (5-Matches)
183 - Virat Kohli vs West Indies, 2019 (3-Matches)
Most Player of the Series Award in T20Is:
6 - Virat Kohli (India), Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka), Suryakumar Yadav (India)*
5 - Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh), David Warner (Australia)
6 - Virat Kohli (India), Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka), Suryakumar Yadav (India)*
5 - Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh), David Warner (Australia)
A magnificent run filled series between two strong sides. Hosts India - the defending champions of the T20 World Cup and New Zealand who are known to be formidable tourists any part of the world across formats. Both the sides would be happy with their preparation for the big event starting in a week! A 4-1 series win for India. Skipper Suryakumar Yadav receives the trophy from BCCI President Mithun Manhas!
That's it from our coverage of the 5th and final T20 international between India and New Zealand from Thiruvananthapuram. Close to 500 runs scored and 15 wickets taken in the 39.4 overs of play! Complete entertainment for the spectators and lovers of the game! Ninaad Dixit here signing off on behalf of my co-commentator Dev Rajawat, scorer Raju Khariya and statistician Aman. Stay tuned for more action from around the world!