The two teams are locked in a five-match T20 series ahead of the upcoming T20 World Cup
Opener Abhishek Sharma has smashed an incendiary 84 to drive India to a 48-run victory over New Zealand in the first Twenty20 international in Nagpur.
Put in to bat on Wednesday, India, who will begin their T20 World Cup title defence next month, racked up 7-238 with Abhishek hammering eight sixes in his 35-ball blitz.
In response, the in-form Glenn Phillips struck a rapid 78 but New Zealand finished on 7-190 at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium.
Earlier, Abhishek, currently the top-ranked T20 batsman in the world, led India’s charge with a blistering knock, looking unfazed by the early exits of opening partner Sanju Samson and No.3 Ishan Kishan.
India captain Suryakumar Yadav had gone 22 innings without a fifty in T20 Internationals and while he fell short of the mark again, he looked fluent in his 32.
Hardik Pandya (25) departed after a cameo before Rinku Singh provided the late assault, plundering 21 runs in the final over from Daryl Mitchell. Rinku’s unbeaten 44 off 20 balls included three sixes.
New Zealand slumped to 3-52 in the seventh over, a wobbly start to a steep chase, but Phillips, who’d hit 106 and 78 in his last two innings in the ODI series, again counter-attacked in spectacular style, hitting six sixes in his 40-ball blitz.
Mark Chapman (39) also stepped on the gas but both fell to spin in quick succession as India regained control.
Spinner Axar Patel, who removed Phillips, left the field with a bleeding thumb in the 16th over but India had enough bowling resources to ensure New Zealand got nowhere near their target.
The teams now move to Raipur for the second T20 of the five-match series on Friday.
