Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy Star As India Beat New Zealand In Second T20I

Tilak Varma and Nitish Kumar Reddy produced decisive performances as India defeated New Zealand by four wickets in the second T20I at Hagley Oval, Christchurch, on Saturday.

The victory gave India a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.

Chasing 181, India struggled at 70/5 before Tilak struck an unbeaten 51 off 26 balls. Nitish remained not out on 26 from 13 deliveries and hit the winning runs with one ball remaining.

New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner exploited the sluggish surface to claim four wickets for 21 runs.

He dismissed Abhishek Sharma before removing Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel in the same over, leaving India in serious trouble.

Naman Dhir offered resistance with 31 off 17 balls. However, Santner dismissed him to complete an impressive spell and increase the pressure on the visitors.

With 46 runs required from 18 balls, Tilak and Nitish launched a counterattack. They collected 17 runs from Jacob Duffy’s over to revive India’s hopes.

Tilak struck consecutive boundaries against Glenn Phillips before adding a four and a six. India needed 11 runs from the final over.

Tilak hit a boundary through cover and completed his half-century with a double. Nitish then secured victory with another two runs.

Earlier, Glenn Phillips scored 70 off 43 balls, while Bevon Jacobs contributed 58 from 46 deliveries. Their 116-run fourth-wicket partnership lifted New Zealand to 180/5 after India reduced the hosts to 41/3.

Arshdeep Singh claimed two wickets for 33 runs, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Prince Yadav and Nitish also took one wicket each.

Brief Scores: New Zealand 180/5; India won by four wickets, reaching the target with one ball remaining. Tilak Varma 51*, Nitish Kumar Reddy 26*; Mitchell Santner 4/21.

Also Read: Phillips, Jacobs Fifties Power New Zealand To 180/5 Against India In Christchurch