The five-match T20I series between New Zealand and India concluded on November 1, 2026, with India claiming the series 3-2 after taking an unassailable 3-0 lead in the first three games. New Zealand fought back to win the final two matches and avoid a whitewash, with the decider played in Hamilton.
Three batters stood out above the rest with the bat across the series: Glenn Phillips, Abhishek Sharma and Daryl Mitchell. However, it was Phillips who dominated proceedings from start to finish, finishing
as the clear leader on the run-scoring charts.
3. Daryl Mitchell
Daryl Mitchell rounded off the series run-scoring list in third place, accumulating 176 runs across all five matches at an average of 44.00. His strike rate of 174.26 underlined his aggressive intent throughout the contest.
The New Zealand batter's finest hour came at Sky Stadium, Wellington, in the 3rd T20I, where he remained unbeaten on 89 off just 39 deliveries, striking five sixes and eight fours. However, Mitchell's knock went in vain as India won that match by six wickets. His contributions nonetheless kept New Zealand competitive, particularly during their comeback in the final two games. Abhishek Sharma's century in the same match had overshadowed Mitchell's effort, but the New Zealand batter's consistency across the series was a key factor in the hosts' revival.
2. Abhishek Sharma
Abhishek Sharma was India's leading scorer and finished second overall with 197 runs in 5 matches, striking at a remarkable 223.86 throughout the series.
His defining contribution arrived in the 3rd T20I at Wellington, where he blazed 113 off 38 deliveries, including 11 sixes and seven fours, as India chased down New Zealand's target of 154 with six wickets to spare. Although Abhishek could not replicate that level of dominance in the remaining matches, his century in Wellington remained the batting highlight of the series for India.
1. Glenn Phillips
Glenn Phillips was the standout performer of the entire series, finishing as the leading run-scorer with 341 runs in 5 matches at an average of 113.67 and a strike rate of 185.33. He registered one century and four scores of 50 or more across the five games and was named Player of the Series.
Phillips's most destructive knock came in the 4th T20I at Eden Park, Auckland, where he struck 107 off 46 deliveries, hitting 10 sixes and six fours, as New Zealand hammered India by 87 runs. In the series finale at Hamilton, he remained unbeaten on 65 off 38 balls, including eight fours and three sixes, guiding New Zealand to 195/3 in 18 overs while chasing India's total of 192. Phillips broke Phil Salt's previous record of 331 runs to become the highest run-scorer in a bilateral T20I series, and he is only the third player to have crossed the 300-run mark in such a series. He also set the record for the most runs in a T20I series by a New Zealand batter.
