India Make Cricket History With 181-Run Chase From 70/5 Against New Zealand

News cricket India Make Cricket History With 181-Run Chase From 70/5 Against New Zealand

India Make Cricket History With 181-Run Chase From 70/5 Against New Zealand

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Last Updated: October 24, 2026, 19:38 IST

Tilak Varma and Nitish Reddy have made India the first FM team in the world to chase 180 or more runs after losing five wicktets for 70 runs or fewer.

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Tilak Varma of India and Nitish Kumar Reddy of India after win the match during the 2nd T20I match between New Zealand and India at the Hagley Oval, Christchurch, New Zealand on October 24, 2026. Photo: Surjeet Yadav / CREIMAS for BCCI

All of Gautam Gambhir and Shreyas Iyer’s hard work bore fruit on Saturday as Tilak Varma produced a sensational unbeaten 51 off 26 balls to help India pull off a remarkable four-wicket victory over New Zealand in the second T20I. India shot down 181 with one ball to spare — the highest successful chase after losing five wickets for 70 or fewer runs, for a full-member nation in T20I history.

The previous highest successful chase was 174, recovering from 40/5 by Sri Lanka against Australia in 2017.

In Christchurch, New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner led the major first-half collapse, claiming four wickets for 21 runs. Sanju Samson (14), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (4), Abhishek Sharma (27), Shreyas Iyer (7) and Axar Patel (11) fell as India slumped to 70 for five.

Naman Dhir briefly revived India’s hopes with an aggressive 31 off 17 balls before Santner dismissed him in the 15th over, leaving Tilak Varma with the responsibility of steering the chase.

Tilak rose to the challenge, smashing an unbeaten 51 off 26 deliveries, including six fours and a six, and reaching his half-century off 25 balls. He found an ideal partner in Reddy, who hammered an unbeaten 26 off 13 deliveries, including a four and a six.

The pair stitched together an unbeaten, also record-breaking 69-run stand off just 30 balls to turn the contest around, sealing a remarkable four-wicket victory to extend the series lead to 2-0.

“I feel that every individual in our game is a match winner, and today we saw an example of that," a happy Shreyas said after the match. “Like, honestly speaking, when we lost wickets, especially consecutive wickets, we thought that the game was going away from us. But Tilak and Reddy, they showed immense character, and also a great cameo by Naman Dhir."

He also admitted there were still areas for improvement.

“I think we played a lot of dot balls initially, and that basically piled up the run rate as well, and also when we went in, we wanted to actually cruise, but they bowled amazing, especially Bracewell and Santner, the way they controlled the game in the middle. It wasn’t easy to strike the ball, but I think if we would have picked up the gaps and tried to find boundaries, we could have easily cruised. But unfortunate. You know, it happens. Just another day, and I’m sure that we’ll bounce back pretty strong," he added.

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Quick Answers Powered by Ask News18 What record did India break during their T20I run chase against New Zealand? India achieved the highest successful T20I chase after losing five wickets for 70 or fewer runs for a full-member nation, successfully hunting down New Zealand's target of 181 with one ball to spare. How did Tilak Varma and Nitish Reddy perform during the match? Tilak Varma scored an unbeaten 51 off 26 balls while partnering with Reddy, who added an unbeaten 26 off 13 deliveries. Together they put on a record-breaking, unbroken 69-run stand off just 30 balls to secure a four-wicket victory. Which New Zealand bowler caused the major first-half collapse in the Indian batting lineup? New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner wreaked havoc in the first half of the innings, claiming four wickets for just 21 runs and dismissing key Indian batters before the lower order mounted a comeback. Powered by Ask News18

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First Published: October 24, 2026, 17:02 IST

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