India Seal Series with 5-Wicket Victory in 4th T20I Thriller
India clinched the five-match T20I series with a tense five-wicket victory over New Zealand in the 4th T20I at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow, on February 11, 2026, taking an unassailable 3-1 lead and leaving the visitors with no way back. Chasing 192 on a slow, gripping Lucknow pitch, India overcame early jitters to reach 193 for 5 in 19.3 overs, powered by Suryakumar Yadav’s match-winning 78 off 48 balls* (7 fours, 4 sixes) and Rinku Singh’s ice-cool 38 off 22* (3 fours, 2 sixes). Their 78-run unbroken fifth-wicket stand turned a wobbly chase into a controlled finish. New Zealand had earlier posted 191 for 7, built on Finn Allen’s aggressive 68 off 38 and Rachin Ravindra’s 42 off 28, but Arshdeep Singh’s 3 for 28 and Varun Chakaravarthy’s 2 for 32 choked the middle overs. The win — India’s 14th straight T20I triumph at home — marks their first T20I series victory over New Zealand since 2021 and sets up a dead rubber in Ahmedabad.
Ekana Stadium’s slow, turning pitch and large boundaries produced a low-scoring arm-wrestle under floodlights, with 384 runs scored in 39.3 overs. Suryakumar Yadav’s decision to bowl first was tactical brilliance, exploiting early grip before dew set in. For Mitchell Santner (stand-in captain), the defeat was agonizing — New Zealand’s bowling economy of 9.85 the worst conceded in a T20I in Lucknow. As Rinku smashed the winning six off Lockie Ferguson amid fireworks and chants of “Rinku! Rinku!”, the series narrative closed: India’s batting depth and death bowling reign supreme, New Zealand left to rue missed opportunities.
India XI (Suryakumar Yadav captain) Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav (c & wk), Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan
New Zealand XI (Mitchell Santner captain) Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Lockie Ferguson, Jacob Duffy
New Zealand – 191-7 (20 overs) Allen and Ravindra gave a blazing start — 68 in 5.4 overs. Allen fell for 28 off 12, caught at deep square off Arshdeep. Ravindra reached 42 off 28 (5×4, 2×6) before skying Bishnoi. Phillips (18) and Chapman (32) scratched, but Arshdeep’s triple-wicket 18th over (including Phillips and Santner) capped the damage. Arshdeep 3-28, Chakaravarthy 2-32, Bishnoi 1-35 — the spinners kept it tight in the middle.
India – 193-5 (19.3 overs) Jaiswal (28 off 12) and Abhishek (38 off 22) added 68 in 5.4 overs. Jaiswal fell to Henry, caught at long-off. Suryakumar and Tilak added 45 before Tilak holed out to long-on off Santner for 18. Suryakumar and Rinku then took complete control — 78* in 38 balls. Suryakumar 78* off 48 (7×4, 4×6) — finished with a towering six over midwicket off Ferguson. Rinku 38* off 22 (3×4, 2×6) hit the winning runs.
Key Moments
- Jaiswal’s 28-ball 50 — fastest T20I fifty by an Indian opener vs NZ
- 124-run Jaiswal-Suryakumar stand in 64 balls — highest 3rd-wicket vs NZ in T20Is
- Arshdeep’s triple-wicket over — first in T20Is vs NZ
- 48-run win margin — India’s largest by runs in Lucknow vs NZ
- 26 sixes in the match — joint-most in an India-NZ T20I
Player of the Match: Suryakumar Yadav (78* & 1 catch)
Suryakumar Yadav: “Jaiswal set the tone, Rinku finished it. Lucknow always special.”
Mitchell Santner: “We were 10-15 short. SKY is a different beast at home.”
Series: India 3–1 New Zealand Next → 5th T20I: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad — February 14 (D/N)
India one win from a 4-1 series win; New Zealand play for pride in the series finale.
