Cricket
oi-Ashish Rana
India pulled off a stunning win against New Zealand in the second T20I on Saturday, thanks to a late attack from Tilak Varma and Nitish Reddy. The visitors chased down the target of 181 with four wickets to spare, taking a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
India secured a 4-wicket victory over New Zealand in the second T20I, successfully chasing 181 thanks to an unbeaten 69-run partnership between Tilak Varma and Nitish Reddy, taking a 2-0 series lead.
The match appeared to be slipping away from India when they were reduced to 113/6 after 15 overs. With 68 runs needed from the final five overs, Tilak and Nitish took charge and built an unbeaten 69-run stand off just 30 balls.
Tilak Varma Leads India’s Fightback
India needed 46 runs from the last 18 balls when Tilak stepped up the attack. Nitish Reddy had already started scoring quickly, but the required run rate remained high.
Tilak changed the game by hitting five fours and a six against Jacob Duffy and Nathan Smith in the next 12 deliveries. His attacking shots brought the target down to just 11 runs in the final over.
46 off 18? No problem for these two 🔥Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/FZtUFIFWS2#TeamIndia | #NZvIND https://t.co/eBaIQuhwil
— BCCI (@BCCI) October 24, 2026
Tilak reached his half-century in the last over, but the celebrations came only after the winning runs. Nitish struck the decisive shot past mid-wicket off the penultimate ball to complete India’s four-wicket victory.
Mitchell Santner Puts India Under Pressure
New Zealand had controlled the middle overs with their spin attack. Captain Mitchell Santner took four wickets for 21 runs, leaving India struggling to score freely on a pitch that had slowed down.
India managed just 66 runs for the loss of five wickets during the middle phase. The batters found it difficult to attack the spinners, allowing New Zealand to take control before Tilak and Nitish changed the course of the match.
Phillips and Jacobs Build New Zealand’s Innings
Earlier, India made a strong start with the ball, restricting New Zealand to 43/3 in the Powerplay. Arshdeep Singh and Bhuvneshwar Kumar took one wicket each, while Prince Yadav dismissed Finn Allen.
Glenn Phillips and Bevon Jacobs then rebuilt the innings with a 116-run partnership for the fourth wicket off 77 balls. Phillips scored 70 from 43 deliveries, while Jacobs made 58 off 46 balls, helping New Zealand reach 180.
Axar Patel delivered an improved spell of 0/28 in four overs. However, New Zealand could not defend their total as Tilak and Nitish produced a remarkable finish to give India another win in the series.
