India currently lead the series 3–1, having won the first three matches before New Zealand bounced back with a 50-run victory in Visakhapatnam in the fourth T20I.
IND vs NZ 5th T20I: Arshdeep fifer, Kishan century power India to 46-run win in series finale (PC: IANS)
India sealed a commanding win in the fifth T20I against New Zealand at the Greenfield International Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram, on Saturday, producing a brutal batting exhibition to post a massive 271/5 and winning by 46 runs. Powered by Ishan Kishan’s maiden T20I century and a rapid-fire finish, India hammered 23 sixes, with Shivam Dube striking the last ball for a maximum to cap off the carnage. Captain Suryakumar Yadav also played a key hand with a blazing fifty, his third half-century of the series, as India’s top order left the visitors’ attack with no answers.
Ishan Kishan announced his return in style, smashing his maiden T20I hundred, including 10 sixes in the fifth and final match. Back in the XI after missing the previous game with a niggle, Kishan tore into the Kiwi attack and brought up his century in just 42 balls to set the tone for India’s innings. The left-hander was eventually dismissed in the 18th over by Jacob Duffy after a breathtaking knock of 103 off 43 balls, caught by Glenn Phillips.
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A fantastic finish to the T20I series in Trivandrum ️#TeamIndia register a 46-run victory and win the T20I series 4⃣-1⃣
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Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/AwZfWUTBGi#INDvNZ | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/SktrGoq0Dp
— BCCI (@BCCI) January 31, 2026
In reply, New Zealand launched a spirited counterattack led by Finn Allen and Rachin Ravindra, who kept the chase alive with a flurry of boundaries in the powerplay. Allen looked in ominous touch before falling to Axar Patel, triggering a collapse as India’s bowlers struck regularly through the middle overs. Despite late resistance from Daryl Mitchell, New Zealand were eventually bowled out for 225, with Arshdeep Singh starring with a five-wicket haul and Axar picking up three as India completed a dominant victory.
! #TeamIndia Captain Surya Kumar Yadav receives the @IDFCFIRSTBank T20I Series trophy from BCCI President Mr. Mithun Manhas #INDvNZ | @MithunManhas | @surya_14kumar pic.twitter.com/6n2sP1D6TR
— BCCI (@BCCI) January 31, 2026
Arshdeep Singh took the new ball for India as Tim Seifert and the returning Finn Allen opened the innings for New Zealand in a steep chase. Seifert began with a boundary, while Allen struck two fours in the opening over, giving the visitors a brisk start. However, India drew first blood immediately, with Seifert falling on the last ball of the first over.
Allen continued the counterattack in the second over, launching a six as Rachin Ravindra joined him in the middle. The New Zealand opener then went into overdrive in the third, smashing four fours and a six to keep the required rate in check. Ravindra also found his rhythm quickly, striking two boundaries in the fourth as the pair kept the chase alive with regular fours and sixes.
India finally broke the dangerous partnership in the ninth over when Axar Patel dismissed Allen, with Rinku Singh taking the catch. Glenn Phillips walked in next and looked to maintain the momentum. Ravindra began the 10th over with a six, and Phillips followed it up with a boundary in the same over, but his stay was short-lived. Axar struck again to remove Phillips, with Rinku once more safe under the ball.
Daryl Mitchell came in at No. 5 and started with a boundary in the 11th over, but New Zealand suffered another major blow in the 12th when Ravindra was dismissed by Arshdeep, caught by Axar. The collapse gathered pace as skipper Mitchell Santner was removed soon after — Arshdeep striking again, with Suryakumar Yadav completing the catch.
Bevon Jacobs then joined Mitchell, and the pair tried to rebuild. Mitchell injected fresh momentum in the 14th over with a four and two sixes, while Jacobs also picked up a boundary. But in the 15th, Jacobs was bowled by Varun Chakaravarthy, leaving New Zealand in deeper trouble.
Kyle Jamieson came in and struck two fours in the 16th over, but Arshdeep returned to remove him on the very next ball. In the same over, Arshdeep also dismissed Mitchell, further denting New Zealand’s hopes of pulling off the chase.
New Zealand’s lower order could not sustain the chase, with Lockie Ferguson also falling in the 17th over to Axar Patel. The innings eventually ended under 20 overs, with India completing a dominant bowling finish as New Zealand were bowled out for 225.
Arshdeep led India’s attack with a brilliant five-wicket haul, while Axar Patel picked up three wickets. Varun Chakaravarthy and Rinku Singh chipped in with a wicket each.
In what turned out to be one of the highest-scoring T20I matches, Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson opened the batting for India, with Jacob Duffy taking the new ball for New Zealand. Sharma came out blazing, smashing a six and two fours in the very first over to set the tone early.
Samson joined the assault with a boundary in the second over, while Sharma continued the onslaught with another six and a four, leaving the New Zealand bowlers with no room to breathe. However, New Zealand struck back in the third over as Lockie Ferguson dismissed Samson, with Bevon Jacobs taking the catch.
Ishan Kishan walked in at No. 3 and immediately picked up the tempo alongside Sharma as the duo launched into a brutal counterattack. Sharma’s explosive start came to an end in the fifth over when Ferguson struck again to remove him.
Captain Suryakumar Yadav then arrived at the crease and seamlessly continued the momentum with Kishan. The pair struck boundaries and sixes at regular intervals, racing to 102 in 10 overs, with Kishan bringing up India’s 100 with a maximum.
1️⃣0️⃣3️⃣(43)
6️⃣ fours
1️⃣0️⃣ sixesFor his brilliant maiden T20I hundred, Ishan Kishan receives the Player of the Match award
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/AwZfWUTBGi#TeamIndia | #INDvNZ | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/Iu4Ke4ozvg
— BCCI (@BCCI) January 31, 2026
New Zealand’s bowlers endured a nightmare 12th over as Kishan went berserk against Ish Sodhi, smashing three consecutive fours, followed by a six, a four and another six to collect 29 runs from the over.
Suryakumar was equally ruthless. In the 14th over, he hammered a four and three sixes, bringing up his half-century with the second maximum. He continued the fireworks with another six in the 15th over before falling in the next, dismissed by Mitchell Santner and caught by Tim Seifert.
Hardik Pandya joined Kishan and kept the pressure on, with India continuing to clear the ropes at will. Kishan, meanwhile, brought up his maiden T20I century, capping a breathtaking innings that underlined his class and fearless approach. He was eventually dismissed in the 18th over by Jacob Duffy, caught by Glenn Phillips, after a sensational knock.
Rinku Singh walked in next as India looked to finish with a flourish. Pandya struck a few more big hits but was later dismissed by Kyle Jamieson, caught by Bevon Jacobs.
With the finish line in sight, Shivam Dube provided the perfect final touch, smashing a last-ball six to take India to a massive 271/5, completing a staggering innings that included 23 sixes.
India won the toss and opted to bat first in the 5th T20I against New Zealand at the Greenfield International Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram. The crowd cheered loudly as India captain Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and elected to bat first.
India have made three changes, with Axar Patel, Ishan Kishan and Varun Chakaravarthy replacing Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav and Ravi Bishnoi in the playing XI.
New Zealand have made four changes to their playing XI. Finn Allen, Lockie Ferguson, Bevon Jacobs and Kyle Jamieson come in for Devon Conway, Matt Henry, Mark Chapman and Zak Foulkes.
Toss Update #TeamIndia elect to bat in the Final #INDvNZ T20I
Updates ▶️ https://t.co/Thau28CPuZ@IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/9Wo6lLsnUs
— BCCI (@BCCI) January 31, 2026
Suryakumar Yadav (India Captain)
“We’ve decided to bat first, as there was heavy dew last night, and we want to put our bowlers under a proper test.
The curator feels the pitch will stay true across the full forty overs, even without much grass on it. Axar, Ishan, and Varun return to the XI, and it’s great to have Sanju Samson playing here in Trivandrum. Tilak is very close; he’s taking his time through practice games, and once he’s back, we’ll be a stronger unit. This series has pushed us in different conditions and situations, which is exactly what we want at this stage. Each game has offered a new lesson, and the focus has been on carrying those learnings forward.”
Mitchell Santner (New Zealand Captain)
“There’s a bit more wind around tonight, so conditions could behave slightly differently from the last game. Bowling first has been a strong area for us in this series, and we’re happy to take on that challenge again. We’ve made four changes: Finn comes in for Conway, Jacobs replaces Chapman, KJ returns, and Lockie comes in for Matt Henry. A couple of these moves are precautionary, with minor niggles, we’re keen to manage carefully. Matt Henry’s workload is being monitored, so rotation is important with bigger games coming up. Having Finn and Lockie back adds quality, and this match is another step in building toward the business end.”
India:
Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy.
Here’s a look at #TeamIndia‘s Playing XI for the 5⃣th T20I
Updates ▶️ https://t.co/Thau28CPuZ#INDvNZ | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/CjChznpUY0
— BCCI (@BCCI) January 31, 2026
New Zealand:
Tim Seifert, Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Bevon Jacobs, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner (c), Kyle Jamieson, Lockie Ferguson, Ish Sodhi, Jacob Duffy.
Match: India vs New Zealand, 5th T20I
Date: Saturday, 31 January 2026
Venue: Greenfield International Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram
Time: 7:00 PM IST
When will the toss for the IND vs NZ 5th T20I take place?
The toss will take place at 6:30 PM IST, 30 minutes before the start of play.
Where to watch India vs New Zealand 5th T20I live?
The match will be live-streamed on the JioHotstar app and website while being broadcast live on the Star Sports Network in India.
1st T20I (Nagpur): India won by 48 runs
2nd T20I (Raipur): India won by 7 wickets
3rd T20I (Guwahati): India won by 8 wickets
4th T20I (Visakhapatnam): New Zealand won by 50 runs
5th T20I (Thiruvananthapuram): Today, 7:00 PM IST
India
Sanju Samson: The hometown favourite is set to play in Thiruvananthapuram, making it a special occasion for Kerala fans.
Suryakumar Yadav: India’s captain is 33 runs away from 3,000 T20I runs – a major milestone.
Ishan Kishan: Likely to return to the XI after missing the previous match due to a niggle.
New Zealand
Finn Allen: Expected to be available again after completing Big Bash League (BBL) commitments, adding firepower at the top.
New Zealand squad
Mitchell Santner (c), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Bevon Jacobs, Kyle Jamieson, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi
India squad
Suryakumar Yadav (c), Axar Patel, Abhishek Sharma, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Shivam Dube, Harshit Rana, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, Kuldeep Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Ravi Bishnoi, Sanju Samson, Rinku Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy.
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