India 1-0 up as second T20I with New Zealand is due at Hagley Oval on Saturday

India and New Zealand will meet in the second T20I of the five-match series at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Saturday, with India holding a 1-0 lead. The fixture is scheduled to start at 12:30 PM IST.

India secured a dramatic victory in the series opener by chasing down a 226-run target, recorded as their highest T20I run chase. Sanju Samson’s 23-ball fifty provided a rapid start; despite a mid-innings collapse India reached the target with two balls to spare. Shreyas Iyer scored 42 off 28 balls and Naman Dhir finished 42 not out from 15 deliveries, while Glenn Phillips’ 82 off 40 went in vain.

That win was India’s 20th T20I victory over New Zealand. The two teams have met 32 times in T20 internationals overall, with New Zealand winning 11 and one match having been called off.

The second match will again be at Hagley Oval, where the pitch in the first game played flat and offered little assistance to bowlers; organisers and observers expect similar conditions. Forecasts for Christchurch on Saturday point to a clear evening with temperatures around 22°C and an average humidity index near 40%.

The opener developed into a high-scoring contest in which both sides conceded extras and India’s bowling plans were described as poorly executed. With bounce reported as excellent, the coverage notes that bowlers will need to hit a hard length and land the ball in the correct areas if they are to contain scoring.

Dew affected the first match, and both teams may again favour chasing under those conditions. With the second game at the same venue, fans anticipate another heavy scoring match.

India face a potential change to their squad for the second game: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi might be included after Ishan Kishan sustained an injury ahead of the encounter.