India 🇮🇳 vs New Zealand 🇳🇿 — 3rd ODI (Series Decider)
New Zealand clinch historic ODI series win on Indian soil
📍 Match Details
- Fixture: India vs New Zealand — 3rd One Day International (ODI)
- Series: New Zealand tour of India, 2025–26
- Venue: Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore
- Date: 18 January 2026
- Result: New Zealand won by 41 runs
- Series Score: New Zealand 2–1
- Historic: First bilateral ODI series win in India for New Zealand. (ESPN)
📊 Toss & Teams
Toss: India won the toss and elected to bowl first in the series decider.
Playing XI (India):
Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (c), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj.
Playing XI (New Zealand):
Devon Conway, Henry Nicholls, Will Young, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Hay (wk), Michael Bracewell (c), Zakary Foulkes, Kyle Jamieson, Kristian Clarke, Jayden Lennox.
🏏 New Zealand Innings — 337/8 (50 overs)
New Zealand posted a formidable total of 337 for 8, anchored by two brilliant centuries:
- Daryl Mitchell — 137 (131 balls)
- Glenn Phillips — 106 (88 balls)
The partnership between Mitchell and Phillips was deadly — they added 219 runs for the fourth wicket, rescuing the Black Caps from early adversity and setting a massive target. (ESPN)
Bowling highlights for India:
- Arshdeep Singh — 3/63
- Harshit Rana — 3/84
Despite these efforts, New Zealand’s batting unit dominated throughout. (ESPN)
🏃 India Chase — 296 all out (46.0 overs)
Chasing 338, India started slowly and lost early wickets. However, one man stood tall:
⭐ Virat Kohli — 124 (108 balls)
Kohli’s magnificent century kept India in the hunt for much of the chase — but despite his superb form, other batters weren’t able to provide enough support. (ESPN)
Supporting contributions included:
- Nitish Kumar Reddy — 53
- Harshit Rana — 52
Yet India were eventually bowled out for 296, falling short by 41 runs. (ESPN)
📌 Full Scorecard (Top Performers)
New Zealand Batting
- Daryl Mitchell — 137
- Glenn Phillips — 106
- Will Young — 30
India Batting
- Virat Kohli — 124
- Nitish Kumar Reddy — 53
- Harshit Rana — 52
Main Bowlers
- Arshdeep Singh — 3/63 (NZ)
- Harshit Rana — 3/84 (NZ)
- Zakary Foulkes — 3 wickets (NZ bowlers shared the spoils). (CricTracker)
🔥 Key Highlights
- 🏆 Historic Series Win: New Zealand achieved their first ever bilateral ODI series victory in India — a remarkable feat in Indian conditions. (Live Hindustan)
- 🔥 Centurions: Two centuries from NZ batsmen (Mitchell & Phillips) powered their scoring. (ESPN)
- 💥 Kohli’s Heroics: Virat Kohli’s 124 came in a losing cause but was the standout Indian effort. (ESPN)
- 📊 Big Target: NZ’s 337/8 proved enough to defend despite solid resistance from India. (ESPN)
📈 Match Impact
This match wasn’t just a decider — it was a statement performance. New Zealand showed composure and skill under pressure, especially after dropping the first match. Their batting depth and strategic bowling proved decisive on Indian soil. (ESPN)
India, on the other hand, will focus on building more middle and lower order consistency — even though Kohli’s century was a beacon of class. (ESPN)
🏁 Conclusion
The 3rd ODI between India and New Zealand was a thrilling, high-scoring spectacle that delivered drama, brilliance, and historic achievement. While Virat Kohli’s brilliant century provided a heroic effort for India, it ultimately wasn’t enough to prevent defeat. New Zealand’s breakthrough series win on Indian soil marks a new milestone for Kiwi cricket and adds a memorable chapter to this bilateral Pakistan under 19 vs England under 19