IND vs NZ 4th T20I: Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav Depart Cheaply as India Rocked Early in Pursuit of 216

Visakhapatnam, Jan 28: After New Zealand posted a formidable total of 215 for 7 in the fourth T20I against India at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium on Wednesday (January 28), India found themselves on the backfoot

by losing two big wickets in the first over in the run chase.

Driven by blistering half-centuries from Tim Seifert and a late assault by Daryl Mitchell, the Blackcaps posted a mammoth total.

Team India Lose Early Wickets in Run Chase

In reply, India suffered an immediate setback in their pursuit of the 216-run target, losing opener Abhishek Sharma for a golden duck on the very first ball of the innings off Matt Henry.

Captain Suryakumar Yadav, who walked into the middle at No. 3, hit a couple of boundaries before getting caught and bowled by debutant Jacob Duffy on the final ball of the second over, leaving India reeling for 9/2.

The list of Indian batters dismissed off the very first ball of a T20I innings remains a rare and unwanted club, and it was expanded by back-to-back setbacks against New Zealand. This group includes KL Rahul (vs Zimbabwe, 2016), Prithvi Shaw (vs Sri Lanka, 2021), and Rohit Sharma (vs West Indies, 2022).

However, the 2026 series against the Black Caps has seen a historic statistical anomaly; Sanju Samson fell to the first ball in Guwahati, followed by Abhishek Sharma in Visakhapatnam on January 28.

Both wickets were claimed by Matt Henry, making him only the second bowler in T20I history-and the first from a Full Member nation-to dismiss an opposition batter off the first ball of an innings twice in the same series, joining Sweden's Abdul Naser Baluch in the record books.

New Zealand Post Big Total

Asked to bat first, New Zealand capitalised on a flat deck with a dominant opening partnership. Tim Seifert and Devon Conway added 100 runs for the first wicket in just 8.2 overs, dismantling the Indian attack in the Powerplay which yielded 71 runs. Seifert was the aggressor, smashing 62 off 36 balls with seven fours and three sixes, while Conway contributed a rapid 44 off 23 deliveries.

Kuldeep Brings Team India Back

India clawed back into the contest through their spinners. Kuldeep Yadav provided the breakthrough by removing Conway, caught by Rinku Singh, and later accounted for the dangerous Glenn Phillips (24 off 16). The middle overs saw a flurry of wickets as Jasprit Bumrah dismissed Rachin Ravindra (2) and Arshdeep Singh claimed the wicket of Seifert. Skipper Mitchell Santner was run out for 11, leaving the visitors at 165 for 5.

Daryl Mitchell Troubles Indians Again

However, Daryl Mitchell ensured a strong finish for the Black Caps, remaining unbeaten on 39 off just 18 balls. He targeted pacer Harshit Rana in the final over, who endured a difficult outing, conceding 54 runs in his four-over spell without a wicket. Mitchell's cameo propelled New Zealand past the 200-run mark.

The Indian chase began disastrously with Matt Henry inducing an edge from Abhishek Sharma off the first delivery, which was safely pouched by Conway. India were 0 for 1 after 0.1 overs at the time of this report, with a steep mountain to climb to maintain their unbeaten streak in the series.

Brief scores: New Zealand 215/7 in 20 overs (Tim Seifert 62, Devon Conway 44, Daryl Mitchell 39*; Kuldeep Yadav 2-[Data Illegible], Arshdeep Singh 1-[Data Illegible], Jasprit Bumrah 1-[Data Illegible]) vs India 0/1 in 0.1 overs (Abhishek Sharma 0; Matt Henry 1-0). Match in Progress.