IND Vs NZ Highlights, 1st T20I: Abhishek Sharma’s Storm Sets Up Thumping 48-Run Win For India

Hello and welcome!

We’re back with another live blog and it’s India back in action. Ishan Kishan makes his return and there’s plenty more in the spotlight too. With the T20 World Cup just around the corner, every moment here matters. Stay tuned for live updates.

New Zealand's entire white-ball tour of India, including the five-match T20I series, will be aired live on the JioHotstar app/website and the Star Sports network.

The Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium pitch in Nagpur is expected to favour spinners with its slightly slow and tacky nature. First-innings scores often cross 160, making it a moderate-scoring venue.

It is a red-soil surface, so pacers may find movement and bounce with the new ball, but conditions gradually slow down, bringing the spinners and variation bowlers into play. Spinners can influence the middle overs, given the boundaries are bigger than most Indian venues.

New Zealand have won the toss and have opted to field first against India.

New Zealand (Playing XI): Tim Robinson, Devon Conway(w), Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner(c), Kristian Clarke, Kyle Jamieson, Ish Sodhi, Jacob Duffy

India (Playing XI): Sanju Samson(w), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah

Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma are out in the middle, Samson on strike as Jacob Duffy takes the new ball. What a way to begin, full and swinging in at 137.6, Samson forced into a careful defensive push.

Next delivery thuds into the pads and they steal a leg-bye to get moving. First runs on the board, and we’re underway in Nagpur.

Jamieson strikes early! Samson goes for the flick and is caught by Ravindra, a soft dismissal that New Zealand will relish. Samson’s attempt to pick a gap off a good-length delivery backfires, and Jamieson roars in delight, exacting revenge for the previous boundaries.

The Indian opener looks baffled as he walks back, replaying the chance he just let slip. Samson c Ravindra b Jamieson 10(7) [4s-2], early breakthrough for New Zealand.

Jacob Duffy breaks through as Ishan Kishan is caught by Chapman for 8 off 5 balls. Kishan stepped out to play an aggressive shot but struggled to stay balanced against the extra bounce from Duffy. His attempt to loft the ball over cover ended in a simple lob straight into Chapman’s hands. Two early wickets have India reeling.

IND 34/2 (3.4)

Abhishek Sharma isn’t having any of Jamieson’s tricks today. The slower ball comes in, and Sharma waits, reads it like a book, then unleashes a massive straight-drive six that just screams, “Not today, mate!”

The ball rockets over the ropes and the crowd goes wild. Jamieson might have hoped for a sneaky wicket, but Sharma’s timing? Impeccable. That’s a statement shot right there, power, precision, and pure swagger.

And Abhishek Sharma isn’t letting up! Phillips tosses in a flatter one, and Sharma leans in, meets it perfectly, and sends it soaring over cover for four. The fielder Clarke?

Oh dear, he completely misjudges it, letting it slip through like butter. That’s two shots in a row showing not just Sharma’s timing but also some shaky fielding, it’s raining runs here, and the batter is having a blast.

Abhishek Sharma nudges it down to long-on for a single and, there it is. His 7th T20I fifty comes up in just 22 balls, a whirlwind of power and timing. The Nagpur crowd is on their feet, grooving with every stroke, and the joy is contagious.

Broad can’t hide his grin, patting his bat in applause, while the dugout rises to salute their hero. Sharma’s innings has been nothing short of magical, keeping IND right in the game.

And that’s the end of a stunning innings. Abhishek Sharma mistimes one off Ish Sodhi, Jamieson takes it safely at long-on, and the crowd rises to salute their hero. A quick pat from Sodhi, a shake of the head from Abhishek, he knows he picked the wrong option.

But what a knock: 84 off 35, five fours and eight sixes, the innings that pulled IND back into the game. Standing ovation in Nagpur as he walks off.

Jamieson runs in, bangs it in, and Hardik Pandya absolutely smokes it! There is a man stationed at long-off, but this is hit so hard and so flat that the fielder barely has time to move, the ball whistles past him and races away to the fence. Pure power, no fuss, and the crowd roars as Hardik announces himself at the crease.

Santner drops it a touch short and Hardik Pandya pounces immediately! He’s had a quiet record against Santner in T20s before tonight, but he’s clearly in the mood to rewrite that story. A fierce slap over cover, the ball skimming the turf and racing away to the ropes. Message sent, Hardik isn’t here to be tied down anymore.

Jamieson goes searching on the pads again and Axar just clips it away with a lazy flick. This one’s timed sweeter but placed straighter, so it’s only a single down to fine leg. No drama, just calm rotation, keep the scoreboard ticking, keep the pressure on.

Oh Rinku Singh, that is pure class and courage! Mitchell tries to be clever with the slower one, but Rinku reads it early, barely moves an inch, waits, and then absolutely slogs it across the line for a massive six.

Clean as you like, straight into the stands, back-to-back sixes and the momentum swings hard towards IND. What a pick-up, what an execution, this is fearless finishing on display.

India post a commanding 238/7 in their 20 overs, putting the pressure straight back on the opposition. Sanju’s cameo ended early with a false shot off Jamieson, but Ishan Kishan returned to the international stage with a gorgeous straight lofted drive before Duffy’s clever slower ball pegged him back.

SKY walked in with no runs on the board and immediately stamped his authority with a crisp back-foot drive. The pitch, relaid in 2024, proved perfect for batting, and the Indian side made the most of it, knowing dew could play a role later.

And chase time gets off to a nightmare start for the visitors! Conway faces Arshdeep Singh and goes after a full delivery outside off, only to edge it straight to Sanju Samson.

The keeper pulls off a sensational low dive to complete the catch. Conway is gone for a duck, making it the fourth time in just 11 T20I balls that Arshdeep has claimed him. IND strike early and send a warning shot straight away.

We have a match on our hands folks! Ravindra's wicket – caught behind by the slip – would have dampened even the ardent of NZ fan's hopes. However, Robinson and and Phillips have gone on the attack, hitting fours and sixes to keep the required run rate under 14-an-over.

It's the end of the first powerplay, and New Zealand reach the 50-run mark. Phillips has been attacking whever he has been given a bit of room by the bowlers, but Surya sticks with the spinners for now.

Chakaravarthy strikes immediately, removing the dangerous Robinson. It was a googly ball that bamboozles the Kiwi batter, who hits it straight to Dube's grasp. Axar almost doubled the advantage, with Samson conviced of a caught-behind against Chapman. However, it's a wasted review for India.

Not the best of matches for Sanju Samson so far. After wasting India's last review, the wicketkeeper misses one of the easier run out chances you will see, and Phillips survives. All he had to do was hold on to Rinku's through and hit the stumps, but Samson falters at the first step. Phillips clloses the over with a boundary.

The partnership between Chapman and Phillips is proving a difficult one for the Indian bowlers to break. The former was dropped by Rinku Singh, and Phillips has continued his onslaught and reaching a well-deserved half-century. The sixes have continued to rain down, but the required rate is just under 16-an-over at the moment.

Finally, India get the wicket that they were looking for. Phillips, having disatched Axar for a boundary and six, opts for a big shot again. However, the timing is off this time, and it's a solid take from Dube at the deep. Daryl Mitchell comes on for NZ.

Mitchell goes absolutely berserk! Axar pitches one up on the stumps, and Mitchell makes room, lofting it with brutal timing. Axar stretches out his left hand, but the ball clips the edge and rockets past long-off for four.

The physio rushes onto the field as Axar walks off, but all eyes are on that pure, punishing shot, Mitchell’s power on full display.

India defeated New Zealand by 48 runs in the first T20I in Nagpur to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series, riding on a blistering 84 off 35 balls from Abhishek Sharma.

The hosts posted a massive 238/7, their highest T20I total against the Kiwis, with Rinku Singh’s unbeaten 44 providing late impetus. Glenn Phillips struck 78 in reply, but Varun Chakaravarthy and Shivam Dube took two wickets each to seal a commanding win.

That’s a wrap! We’ll be back with another live blog soon, until then, bye-bye.