IND vs NZ 1st T20I LIVE Score: Abhishek Sharma, Rinku Singh star as India decimate New Zealand by 48 runs, take 1-0 lead

Two wickets in the final over by Shivam Dube as India restrict New Zealand to 190/7 in 20 overs, thereby winning the game by 40 runs. India's final leg of prep for the T20 World Cup 2026 starts on a winning note.

Lack of overs from Daryl Mitchell and bringing the hard-hitting batter as low as No.6 might have gone against New Zealand in the first game today. The game is already done with New Zealand needing 52 runs in the final six balls. NZ 187/5 (19)

OUTTT!!! Varun Chakaravarthy gets his second of the match as Mark Chapman tries to go over the boundary. Abhishek Sharma takes the catch. Chapman departs for 39. NZ 144/5 (15)

OUTTT!!!!! After a scintillating innings, Glenn Phillips holes out to Shivam Dube off the bowling of Axar Patel. Needing more than 100 runs in the lst 7 overs, Phillips had no other option but to go after every ball. Phillips departs for 78 off just 40 balls.

A big over for New Zealand as Glenn Phillips and Mark Chapman smash maximums off Shivam Dube. Meanwhile, Phillips six-hitting drive continues as he welcomes Varun Chakaravarthy with a huge six. With close to 130 runs required in 8 overs, New Zealand might not win the game but can go as close as they can be. NZ 121/3 (13)

DROPPEDDD!!! Rinku Singh has dropped a sitter to give Mark Chapman a reprieve. Bowling just his second over, Jasprit Bumrah bowls a slower delivery. Chapman trying to play it on the on-side, gets a leading top edge only for Rinku to take the catch. Chapman was on 15 when dropped. FIFTY for Glenn Phillips in the same over. NZ 95-3 (11)

After 10 overs, India were at 117/2 during their innings. New Zealand are 30 runs short with Glenn Phillips fighting the lone battle. India need to get better of Phillips as soon as possible. New Zealand are way behind their required rate. The current rate of 8.7 while the required rate is 15.2, close to double. NZ 87/3 (10)

OUTTTT!!! Varun Chakaravarthy does what he is best at - picking up wickets in his first overs. Tim Robinson tries to go over mid-wicket but is caught by Shivam Dube. Robinson goes back for 21. NZ 54-3 (7)

Looks like New Zealand have arrested the slide with Tim Robinson finding the boundaries with ease. The right-hander smashes two fours and a six in an over to ease the pressure. NZ 33/2 (4)

Glenn Phillips eases some pressure with a four and a six in the third over off Arshdeep Singh. While Phillips works it through the deep mid-wicket for a four, the right-hander punished the Indian left-hander with a straight six. Seems Phillips has started from where he left after his hundred in the third ODI. NZ 16-2 (3)

Surprise surprise! Instead of Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya has been handed the ball for the second over. OUTTT!!!! Rachin Ravindra, who came just in the previous over, gets a thick outside edge to Abhishek Sharma at the first slip. Disaster for New Zealand. NZ 1/2 (1.3)

OUTTT!!! What a start for India as Arshdeep Singh strikes on the second ball. The Kiwi left-hander drive a widish delivery and edges to Samson Samson who takes a diving catch. This is the fourth time Arshdeep has dismissed Conway in 11 bals in T20Is. Rachin Ravindra joins Tim Robinson in the middle. NZ 1-1 (1)

Just a single boundary in the 19th over from Arshdeep Singh. Rinku Singh on strike in the final over. Meanwhile, New Zealand can field three fielders outside the 30-yard circle due to slow-over rate. Rinku dances down the track against Daryl Mitchell to start the over with a six over the bowler's head. 6 more in the next ball as Rinku slogs across the line for another maximum. Mitchell bangs short but Rinku knows where to put it for a boundary. Another four at the same area as India finish at 238/7 in 20 overs. Rinku finishes with 44 not out off 20 balls.

BANGGG!!! 200 comes up for India in style as Rinku Singh pulls Kristian Clarke for a flat six. Four more from the left hander in the next ball. OUTTT!!! Axar Patel lofts a widish delivery trying to clear long-off boundary but is caught by Daryl Mitchell. IND 211/7 (18)

OUTTT!! Pressure was mounting on Hardik Pandya after a rather quiet over off Jacob Duffy. The Indian pulls hard but is caught by Mark Chapman at deep mid-wicket boundary. Pandya goes back for 25 off just 16 balls. Axar Patel joins Rinku Singh in the middle. IND 187-6 (16)

Hardik Pandya has been in tremendous form off late. After his 63 against South Africa in the third T20I, the Indian all-rounder went on to score 133 and 75 for Baroda in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. The momentum is with Pandya and the kind of cricket he is playing today, if the right hander stays a few more overs, India are up for a big total. OUTTT!!! Soft dismissal for Shivam Dube. The southpaw, after hitting a six in the previous ball, tries to nudge the ball to the on-side but gets a leading edge only to be caught by Kyle Jamieson. IND 168-5 (14)

4, 6, 6 & OUTT!!! Abhishek Sharma goes bang bang against Ish Sodhi, but the Kiwi spinner has last laugh. Trying to go over the top for the third time in the over, the Indian opener didn't get his elevation right, only to be caught by Jacob Duffy. Avhishek goes back for 84 off just 37 balls, that included five fours and eight sixes. IND 149/4 (12)

OUTTT!! After getting a start, Suryakumar Yadav perished while trying to clear long-on. Tim Robinson takes the wicket. The Indian captain departs after 32 in his 100th match. Hardik Pandya starts with a four off first ball. IND 134-3 (11.1)

Seems like Suryakumar Yadav has listened to his Sulakshan Kulkarni's advice. The Indian captain is taking his time in the middle and have played a few shots in the 'V'. Playing his 100th T20I, SKY has looked in good touch with a couple of fours off Ish Sodhi. IND 117/2 (10)

Abhishek Sharma continues to thrive with three consecutive fours off Glenn Phillips, two of those coming after fumbles from Kristian Clarke. This is his 7th T20I fifty for India, coming in just 22 balls. Four more added to the total, coming off a wide ball. Huge over for India. IND 96/2 (8)

Double blow for India! Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan depart in quick successions as Jacob Duffy and Kyle Jamieson strike. Meanwhile, Abhishek Sharma has given India a flying start despite the two wickets. In fact, Abhishek has been brutal against Jamieson, smashing the tall lanky bowler for a couple of sixes in the over. IND 68/2 (6)

The famed Indian opening partners Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma returns to India. Jacob Duffy opens the bowling for New Zealand. After a quiet first five balls, Abhishek Sharma finishes the over with a six. IND 8/0 (1)

India have been asked to bat first after New Zealand wins toss. New Zealand handed Kristian Clarke a T20I debut. He will part of the pace battery, also including Kyle Jamieson and Jacob Duffy. For India, Shreyas Iyer, Harshit Rana, Ravi Bishnoi and Kuldeep Yadav are missing out.

Despite stating that he has been batting well at te nets, what's going wrong with him during the matches? Livemint spoke with Suryakumar's mentor and coach Sulakshan Kulkarni, who gave a detailed view of what the Indian captain should do to bring back his lost form. Here's what Kulkarni said in an detailed interaction.

“I have been batting really well (in the nets). Talking about the runs, it will definitely come. But at the same time, I can't do things differently. I don't want to change my identity,” India captain Suryakumar Yadav said on the eve of the game.

For India, the major concern of Suryakumar Yadav's form with the bat. The Indian captain has not been able to score a fifty in the shortest format since his 70-plus scored against Bangladesh in 2024. It was the same match that Sanju Samson scored 111 and India went on to score their highest T20I total of 297/4.

India are coming into this series after losing the ODI series narrowly, despite a valiant fight. For New Zealand, with several new faces, have played tremendous cricket. This five-match T20I series is a part of the final preparation for both teams before the T20 World Cup 2026.

Hello and welcome to the live coverage of the first T20I between India and New Zealand.