India vs New Zealand 5th T20I, highlights: IND beat NZ by 46 runs in Thiruvananthapuram

IND vs NZ 5th T20 highlights: All the eyes were on Sanju Samson, who could not deliver yet again, and Kishan, who was missing from the last T20I due to a niggle not only slammed a ton but also took gloves in the second innings

India vs New Zealand 5th T20 highlights: Arshdeep Singh picks a 5-wicket haul helps India restrict New Zealand to 225 and win the game by 46 runs and the series 4-1. Earlier, Ishan Kishan slammed 43-ball 103 to help India get to 271/5 in 20 overs after Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and opted to bat first against Mitchell Santner’s New Zealand. Having already sealed the five-match T20I series against New Zealand in the first three games itself, India signed off on a high from their last official series by winning today’s game before the T20 World Cup begins in earnest next week.

IND vs NZ 5th T20 Live Cricket Score, Full Scorecard: Watch Here

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All the eyes were on Sanju Samson, who could not deliver yet again, and Kishan, who was missing from the last T20I due to a niggle not only slammed a ton but also took gloves in the second innings

India vs New Zealand 5th T20I Live Cricket Streaming Online: Watch Here

Teams:

New Zealand (Playing XI): Tim Seifert(w), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Bevon Jacobs, Mitchell Santner(c), Kyle Jamieson, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson, Jacob Duffy

India (Playing XI): Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson(w), Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah

Scroll down for all the latest updates from the Greenfield International Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram

Match EndedNew Zealand tour of India, 2026 - 5th T20I

India

271/5 (20.0)
vs

New Zealand

225 (19.4)
Match Ended ( 5th T20I )
India beat New Zealand by 46 runs
View Scorecard
Live Updates
Jan 31, 2026 11:57 PM IST
India vs New Zealand 5th T20I, Live Cricket Score: Suryakumar Yadav after result

It feels really good. It’s been a long year and a long wait for moments like this. I’ve always dreamed about when this time would come. You (Murali Kartik) actually said it before the last series in Ahmedabad - when SKY is there, don’t fear. I just kept doing the same things I’d been doing over the last year, stuck to my routines. I knew I wasn’t out of form, just out of runs. It’s been a very good series, and going into the World Cup feeling like this is really special. (what was going through his mind) I think the sky wasn’t blue for a year, (smiles). But that’s life. It’s part of the journey. I took it in my stride, went back to the drawing board, tried to understand what was going wrong. After the last series, I got two or three weeks where I spent time with close friends - they told me a few important things I needed to follow. That’s a sportsperson’s life. I’ve seen so many careers - not just in cricket - where people go through these phases. I knew my time would come if I kept doing the small things right. I’m really happy with how things have turned out. (is he happy with how things are shaping up) Definitely. Whether you win or lose, you always take something from the game. When we go back to Mumbai and play a warm-up game against South Africa, we’ll sit down and analyse the last five games and the year as a whole - what we’ve done well and what we can improve. Then we start our campaign. (New Zealand didn't give up) This format is really hard on bowlers - I completely understand that. When you score big runs, you have to expect the opposition to come hard at you. As a captain and as a bowling unit, you’re always under pressure. The key is having good plans. It’s all part of the learning process. We’ll sit down, talk it through, and move forward.

Jan 31, 2026 11:29 PM IST
India vs New Zealand 5th T20I, Live Cricket Score: Ishan Kishan POTM

(immediate thoughts on his knock) Honestly, not much. I felt the ball was doing a bit early on, but batting alongside Abhishek Sharma really helps. You see his intent, you understand the momentum the team needs, and then you just try to watch the ball and play accordingly. That approach worked well for me today. (not worrying about personal milestones) I think that’s the mindset of everyone in our team now. Even if you’re close to a milestone, it doesn’t really matter. If you start taking singles at that stage, you might feel later that you missed an opportunity to go big. So if the ball is there to hit, you have to go for it. The focus is on winning matches, not personal milestones. (how satisfying is it) I still feel I’m not there yet. Yes, I’ve done well and I’m getting these awards, but my focus is firmly on the World Cup. That’s where the extra effort is needed. What’s important is carrying this form forward and continuing to contribute there.

Jan 31, 2026 11:01 PM IST
India vs New Zealand 5th T20I, Live Cricket Score: Mitchell Santner after game

Yeah, I think when you look at the series as a whole, we’ve taken a lot of positives. India are a very good team - I said that right at the start - and in their own conditions they’re extremely tough to beat. Maybe we push the ropes back a little for the bowlers (laughs), but overall, it’s entertaining cricket at the end of the day. (did they manage to tick off a few boxes) I think when you’re challenged throughout a series, that’s always a good thing. You put both your bowlers and batters under pressure, and you can only learn from that. From that point of view, it’s been a really good series for us. Obviously, the results haven’t gone our way, but there are learnings from every single game. (what are the learning with the World Cup coming up) It’s not easy. As a bowling unit, we’ve got to find ways against very good batters - guys who deal in boundaries and sixes. Maybe it’s about turning those big overs into 15 or 16, especially on flat pitches, knowing that even 230 can be chaseable.

Jan 31, 2026 10:34 PM IST
India vs New Zealand 5th T20I, Live Cricket Score: IND beat NZ by 46 runs in Thiruvananthapuram

33 sixes have been scored today, which is the highest in any T20I game. It was a flat wicket, but the level of scores that teams are piling up has been quite unbelievable. New Zealand, if they would havecaptilised the start in the first 10 overs they could have gotten much closer than what they actually did. It was a pretty good test for the Indian bowlers, and they did feel a bit uncomfortable, and this can happen in the T20 World Cup in the later stages when they meet good sides, hence they need to find a way and get better with the new ball or in the first 10. As per New Zealand they have been pretty ordinary the series would have done more harm than good the only positive is Finn Allen and Lockie Ferguson. That's it from us do join us for the presentation.

Jan 31, 2026 10:31 PM IST
India vs New Zealand 5th T20I, Live Cricket Score: IND beat NZ by 46 runs in Thiruvananthapuram

Rinku Singh got the final wicket as Sodhi tried to whack one through the covers and got the outside edge, and the point fielder, in the ring Arshdeep Singh, completed the catch. It is a pretty good win for India but it did come at cost with the result India has won the series 4-1.

Jan 31, 2026 10:19 PM IST
India vs New Zealand 5th T20I, Live Cricket Score: Arshdeep gets five

Arshdeep Singh gets a five-wicket haul here. First, it was Kyle Jamison who tried to pull one and chopped onto stumps, and then it was Daryl Mitchell who tried to play a scoop shot and got the inside edge, and the ball rolled over onto the stumps. What a night it has been for him. His spell does typify the nature of T20Is. As we update, Axar Patel has picked up his third wicket of Lockie Ferguson who charged down the track and missed a straight delivery and lost his middle stump. What a collapse this has been from New Zealand.

Jan 31, 2026 10:09 PM IST
India vs New Zealand 5th T20I, Live Cricket Score: Chakravrthy gets Jacobs

Varun Chakarvarthy has picked up the wicket of Jacobs, who did not read the googly whatsoever. A moment of redemption to the wrist spinner who did have a bit of an off-day which we don't see with Varun, even on wickets that are as flat as these. And in the end, given how many runs have been scored, one must say it has been another good day for him altough. But the real momentum changer of this chase is Axar Patel who picked up two wickets through those middle overs with some clever bowling.

Jan 31, 2026 09:59 PM IST
India vs New Zealand 5th T20I, Live Cricket Score: Good comeback

This is a pretty good comeback for the Indian side. They have bowled well since the drinks break, which has been the feature of their bowling through the series. And it is the advantage this team has, which is that they have filled the bowling with the wicket-takers, and they have been delivering quite regularly. As per New Zealand, instead of continuing to keep going after the bowlers through the 20 overs if they do manage to get a good start it might be not a bad ploy for them to look to play it a bit differently.

Jan 31, 2026 09:53 PM IST
India vs New Zealand 5th T20I, Live Cricket Score: Three wickets fall

India has picked up two more wickets since our last update. First, it was Glenn Phillips who got undone by Axar yet again. He tried to hit the ball on the leg-side, but again it seems like the delivery hurried him, and then Arshdeep, in his comeback over, picked up two crucial wickets here. First, it was Rachin Ravindra who got undone by a knuckleball, and then Mitchell Santner got undone by the bumper. New Zealand, like the previous games before, are losing their way in the second of their innings. They have lost four wickets in no time.

Jan 31, 2026 09:40 PM IST
India vs New Zealand 5th T20I, Live Cricket Score: Axar gets Allen

Axar Patel has created the breakthrough here, and it is the dangerous man, Axar Patel. It was quicker and flatter, which Allen tried to hit over the long-on boundary, but ended up giving the catch to the fielder over there. He is pretty canny, Axar. It does seem like everything is the same thing, but he tends to skid the ball through pretty quickly off the surface after pitching, which is not something too many left-arm spinners in world cricket are accustomed to doing. Also, he is a pretty collected bowler and does not get phased by these power-hitters.

Jan 31, 2026 09:29 PM IST
India vs New Zealand 5th T20I, Live Cricket Score: Allen gets 50

Finn Allen got to his half-century here. It is a brilliant innings from he is keeping this game alive for New Zealand. He has shots on both sides of the wickets and all around the ground. Seems like an all-round T20I opener is this man now. New Zealand has managed to get 79 runs in the powerplay, and Suryakumar Yadav was seen having a long chat with his team and was pretty animated. Well twice in two games India are in a bit of pressure. In the previous game it was the batting which was tested and in this one it is the bowling which is getting tested so far.

Jan 31, 2026 09:19 PM IST
India vs New Zealand 5th T20I, Live Cricket Score: Bumrah in

Jasprit Bumrah has come into the attack here, and he is looking to bounce out Finn Allen here, which Arshdeep too did try, but he did not have enough pace though. But Bumrah, on the other hand, is a different bowler and he is 10-15 KPH quicker than Arshdeep. Regardless, Allen, coming from Australia should be able to make the adjustments. He has looked good Allen in his cameo so far he seems to be the guy New Zealand need going into that world cup to give the desired starts and match the teams like India, Australia and England.

Jan 31, 2026 09:10 PM IST
India vs New Zealand 5th T20I, Live Cricket Score: Too many runs

Although Arshdeep Singh has picked up the wicket, he has been taken to the cleaners. Finn Allen has got hold of the left-armer here and is slamming all around the park. Arshdeep Singh, through the series, has struggled with the new ball. There is obviously not a lot of swing on offer for him, but he does have variations that do not seem to be going well with the new ball. Into the World Cup, he needs to come up with something because now he is conceding way too many for the Indian team's liking with the new ball.

Jan 31, 2026 09:01 PM IST
India vs New Zealand 5th T20I, Live Cricket Score: Arshdeep gets wicket

Arshdeep Singh has conceded 17 runs in that opening over and also managed to pick the wicket of Seifert. It was a bit of a soft dismissal. The previous delivery was a wide from the bowler, and the extra ball brought in the wicket for India. Rachin Ravindra has walked into the middle for New Zealand. He is similar to Samson needs some runs here. Hardik Pandya, who took the catch at mid-wicket, has the ball now, so it does seem like India are not going to give the new ball to Jasprit Bumrah in the World Cup.

Jan 31, 2026 08:54 PM IST
India vs New Zealand 5th T20I, Live Cricket Score: Teams

New Zealand (Playing XI): Tim Seifert(w), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Bevon Jacobs, Mitchell Santner(c), Kyle Jamieson, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson, Jacob Duffy

India (Playing XI): Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson(w), Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah

Jan 31, 2026 08:45 PM IST
India vs New Zealand 5th T20I, Live Cricket Score: IND 271/5 vs NZ in Thiruvananthapuram

It is the third-highest score ever for India in the T20Is. Got to feel sorry for the New Zealand bowlers who have been slammed again and again through this bilateral series, and the main culprit for that is Ishan Kishan, who slammed a ton today, his maiden one. Skipper Suryakumar Yadav too did score a ballistic fifty with Hardik providing the finishing touch right up at the end. As per the Kiwi bowling, they did look good till the eighth over, but once Kishan started to go, they had nowhere to turn, and the ball was going into all parts of the ground. It is a concern for the New Zealand management as the dent of confidence the bowlers might be taking from this series would be quite hard to gauge. Well the game is not over yet do join us for the chase coming up shortly.

Jan 31, 2026 08:33 PM IST
India vs New Zealand 5th T20I, Live Cricket Score: 250 up

250 up for India at the end of the 19th over. What a batting display this has been from them. Although they did fire on all cylinders in the previous one, they are making up for it in this game. Hardik Pandya since coming into the crease has been giving a display of how hit sixes with vertical bat shots.

Jan 31, 2026 08:28 PM IST
India vs New Zealand 5th T20I, Live Cricket Score: Kishan falls for 103

Ishan Kishan has slammed his maiden T20I ton and departed here. What an innings it has been from the youngster. Since coming back into the side, he has been in blistering form, and today he went full throttle, and his innings on their day can help India win games of cricket, and a player like him will be pretty handy in the World Cup. As per the dimsissal it was Jacob Duffy who dug the ball in short, which Kishan pulled, and Phillips, who dropped him earlier, completed the catch. Applause all around for Ishan in the ground.

Jan 31, 2026 08:18 PM IST
India vs New Zealand 5th T20I, Live Cricket Score: Santner gets Surya

Mitchell Santner has got the wicket of Suryakumar Yadav. It was the pulled back delivery which Surya hit for a six, and the following delivery Santner bowled a tad bit wider and Surya, trying to repeat the shot, got himself stumped. Hardik Pandya has walked into the middle. As we update, Glenn Phillips has dropped the catch of Ishan Kishan. It was a flick shot from Kishan, which went straight to Phillips and went through his hands for a six. An unlikely drop from an unlikely man. Kishan is on course to get his maiden T20I ton.

Jan 31, 2026 08:08 PM IST
India vs New Zealand 5th T20I, Live Cricket Score: 96 runs from last five overs

This is getting quite brutal here. Till the eighth over of the innings, New Zealand had this innings under control, but Ishan has completely changed the momentum of the innings, and the pacers are taking a bit of tapping. Every field that has been set by Santner seemed to have a telegraph delivered to the Indian batters who have a response to that delivery, which bowler is about to bowl. If they won't pick wicket, a couple of them pretty quickly, 250-260 is on the cards. This is a different side, this Indian side is displaying despite an ordinary powerplay, their acceleration has come through the middle overs.

Jan 31, 2026 07:57 PM IST
India vs New Zealand 5th T20I, Live Cricket Score: Kishan goes past 50

Ishan Kishan has gone past fifty here. He was 27 from 20 balls at one point, but in the last 15 minutes or so, he has completely changed the gear. He has taken a liking to Ish Sodhi, who continues to bowl different variations only to see them all go into the boundary. This is another blistering innings from Kishan, and with the failures Samson has had in the series, it is hard not to think that it is a pretty tempting option for India to start with Kishan and Abhishek at the top of the order. There is still Tilak Varma who has to come back into the side.

Jan 31, 2026 07:48 PM IST
India vs New Zealand 5th T20I, Live Cricket Score: Waterbreak

Well, plenty has happened since our last update. Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan got stuck into the Kiwi spinners first. It was Sodhi who bowled some short stuff, which Kishan and Surya accepted with glee and punished, and then it was the skipper from the previous game who was dealt with. Given the dimensions of the boundaries and two set batters in the middle, 200 is a must from here on. It will be interesting to see what Santner will do with himself and other spin bowling options, as all of them have taken a bit of pasting in this game so far.

Jan 31, 2026 07:38 PM IST
India vs New Zealand 5th T20I, Live Cricket Score: Good from the Kiwis

Well, this game so far has the feel of orthodox scoring with India going at 8s at the 8th over mark instead of getting 100 or 120 around this time, which they were doing in the first three games. Captaincy from Santner has been quite spot on in the previous game, and the bowling changes today, too, have been pretty shrewd from him. He has been quite instinctive and made the changes proactively. India did have the better of them, but this is the New Zealand side they will face in the World Cup, which is expected to be in the semifinal at the latest, given the groupings.

Jan 31, 2026 07:28 PM IST
India vs New Zealand 5th T20I, Live Cricket Score: Abhishek falls

Abhishek Sharma has fallen here. He charged down the track, trying to cut Lockie Ferguson through the covers, but got undone by the pace and lost his stumps. One thing which is noticeable so far, both Abhishek and Samson did look iffy against the high pace of Lockie, not to say they have a problem against pace, mind you, Ferguson is a quality bowler and an experienced one this attack which New Zealand has fielded today more looks like the bowling attack they might play in the first World Cup so it going to be a decent test for this batting.

Jan 31, 2026 07:18 PM IST
India vs New Zealand 5th T20I, Live Cricket Score: Sanju Samson falls

Another low score for Sanju Samson here. He did look scratchy right from ball one today. He tried to hit through the leg-side for a ball which was going away from him against the pace of Lockie Ferguson, he got the outside edge and the ball carried to the third man on the boundary. It is a pretty sorry-looking series for Samson. It was the technique which has given him three tons once, but it does seem to be a susceptible one when there is even the slightest of the moment in the air for the bowlers and when you are opening and the bowlers he is going to face at the T20 World Cup, they will get something out of the surface.

Jan 31, 2026 07:08 PM IST
India vs New Zealand 5th T20I, Live Cricket Score: Runrate 14

Did not charge down the track of the first ball, did Abhishek but did of the final ball to slam one through the point for a boundary. And other than that, he stayed where he did, and Duffy delivered a slower one, which he slammed for six over the cover boundary, and then Duffy delivered a shorter one later in the over, which Abhishek an angled upper cut sent it to a boundary towards the third man. Well, this was more of Abhishek staying at his crease and letting the bowler do all the overthinking and deliver those variations instead of looking to swing the ball.

Jan 31, 2026 06:59 PM IST
India vs New Zealand 5th T20I, Live Cricket Score: Let's go!

India is batting first, which they did in the first T20I, and managed to put on 235 runs. This looks like a pretty good wicket and with Ishan Kishan retruning if he and Abhishek Sharma do what they have done in the series before we might se India put on a massive total. But for now all eyes on Sanju Samson.

Jan 31, 2026 06:53 PM IST
India vs New Zealand 5th T20I, Live Cricket Score: Pitch report by Deep Dasgupta and Simon Doull

"We are in beautiful Thiruvananthapuram for the final and the fifth T20I of the series. Well, it's nice and pleasant, a little on the warmer side and a little on the humid side as well. Having said that, this is the smallest playing area we've had so far in this series. Looking at both the sides, it's just 63 meters, straight down it's 74. It's the smallest ground. I think that's going to assist the fact that it's probably going to be high scoring. That will be one of the keys to it. But I just think it looks a little bit tacky to me. I had a little feel of it earlier when we looked down on it. It's quite dry, but underneath I think there's a little bit of moisture. So I think it might be just a little bit tacky. It might hold in the surface a touch. The outfield looks fantastic. That will probably assist the fact that it might be relatively high scoring. I don't think it's a big high 200s sort of a surface, but I just think there'll be enough in it. Groundsman says not a lot of dew, which is a good thing because that's played a bit of a role in the first few games. I just think if you bowl well, if you hit the right line and length on it, there might just be enough there from a slow, low, sticky, caught at mid-off, caught at cover, point of view for the bowlers. The other thing that generally bowlers do get help here because it's kind of an open venue, this one. You have these blocks where the winds blow and that's where the bowlers do get a little bit of lateral movement, swing movement as well. So that's something that definitely does help the bowlers. I still think it'll be on the higher side, this pitch here, would help the batters."

Jan 31, 2026 06:44 PM IST
India vs New Zealand 5th T20I, Live Cricket Score: Suryakumar Yadav at toss

We are going to bat first. We were here last night. There were a lot of dew. So we want to test our bowlers if we're good defending the total. It's a good wicket. We had a good session last night and the curator said it's going to play true for the next 40 overs. Axar comes back, Ishan comes back and one more. Don't worry Thiruvananthapuram, Sanju Samson is playing tonight. He's (Tilak) just taking his time to play a few practice games. He's been a good player for us. When he comes back, it's going to be a solid side. But yeah, we're really, really waiting for itWe are waiting for him. We've almost covered all the departments, batting, bowling and fielding. But yeah, every time you do something, you try and learn something out of it and then take it to the next game.

Jan 31, 2026 06:41 PM IST
India vs New Zealand 5th T20I, Live Cricket Score: NZ playing XI

Tim Seifert(w), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Bevon Jacobs, Mitchell Santner(c), Kyle Jamieson, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson, Jacob Duffy

Jan 31, 2026 06:35 PM IST
India vs New Zealand 5th T20I, Live Cricket Score: IND playing XI

Jan 31, 2026 06:24 PM IST
India vs New Zealand 5th T20I, Live Cricket Score: Rohit Sharma on 2023 World Cup

“When we were playing the World Cup in 2023, my biggest fear was that if we lost a match and went to the airport, people would rip us apart. We spoke about all of this, that we’d try putting on headphones or whatever, but we had to keep the outside noise out. At one point, I even thought we should ask the boys to switch off from social media for the next two months. But it’s a very individualistic thing. I didn’t want to behave like a professor or a headmaster. Eventually, we didn’t do it. But if you stay in your zone, I think it helps. Luckily for us in 2023, we didn’t lose a single game except the final. So yes, I was very scared of that. But anyway, we played well and similarly with this group, if they keep winning, there will not be any pressure," he recalled

Jan 31, 2026 06:14 PM IST
India vs New Zealand 5th T20I, Live Cricket Score: Rohit Sharma on how he wants to see India play?

“I want the team to be seen as a very classy team. When you play on the ground, people should know that it’s the Indian team. So, behave, and carry yourself well on the ground. These were the things I was always very particular about and I always spoke about them before talking about field placements or what to do in batting, bowling, etc. I felt you have to carry yourself well because you’re playing a World Cup, you’re playing in India, everyone’s watching you and we need to be ambassadors for the country. So, be the best version of yourself on the ground because you’re playing for a country that has such a rich legacy in this game. Performances, winning, losing, all of that will happen later. But most importantly, I think we need to carry ourselves well on the ground and then block the outside noise, create your own bubble. Nothing should come inside, no voices, nothing.”

Jan 31, 2026 06:04 PM IST
India vs New Zealand 5th T20I, Live Cricket Score: Rohit Sharma on players using social media

"We stayed together for those 45 days. We spent a lot of time together, doing various activities, pulling each other’s leg and giving fielding medals. The fielding medal was introduced during that World Cup. We did all these interesting things, it was a lot of fun and that reflected on the ground," Sharma told JioHotstar.

Jan 31, 2026 05:55 PM IST
India vs New Zealand 5th T20I, Live Cricket Score: Rohit Sharma on players using social media

"But I didn’t go and discuss this with anyone. Rahul bhai (Rahul Dravid) and I were discussing whether we should speak to the team about it. Rahul bhai said, ‘I don’t know if it’s the right thing. It’s very personal. You take the call.’ So, I let it go. But a lot of the boys also suggested, ‘Let’s do it.’ I won’t take names, but two or three guys came and told me this. That’s why, if you see, the 2023 World Cup was one of our best campaigns, not just because of what we did on the field, but also off it," Sharma recalled.

Jan 31, 2026 05:44 PM IST
India vs New Zealand 5th T20I, Live Cricket Score: Yuzvendra Chahal on Sanju Samson

"However, there's no need to feel too bad because the T20 World Cup is still far. There's one more match against New Zealand. It now depends on the team management's thinking. If they feel Sanju is struggling as an opener and Ishan is doing well at number three, then the right call would be to make Sanju sit out and let Ishan Kishan take his spot as the opener and wicketkeeper in the final T20I," Chahal added.

Jan 31, 2026 05:37 PM IST
India vs New Zealand 5th T20I, Live Cricket Score: Yuzvendra Chahal on Sanju Samson

"Sanju Samson has played for many years. He started in the IPL middle-order, then became an opener. After playing international cricket for 10-12 years, pressure shouldn't be an excuse. He has had four chances in this series. I can accept failure in one or two matches, but not in three or four. He knows someone like Ishan Kishan, who is the backup and is batting well at number three, is waiting. Sanju will blame himself. He had four opportunities but could not make them count," Chahal said on Jio Star

Jan 31, 2026 05:25 PM IST
India vs New Zealand 5th T20I, Live Cricket Score: How will weather play

According to the Accuweather app, the temperature on Saturday will hover around 25 to 30 degrees Celsius over the course of the match. There is forecast for rain next week in Kerala's state capital but it is highly unlikely for any showers to appear during the match. However, humidity will be a factor for both sides to deal with, and the dew that accompanies it.

Jan 31, 2026 05:15 PM IST
India vs New Zealand 5th T20I, Live Cricket Score: How will the pitch play?

The playing surface of the Greenfield International Stadium has been a mixed bag in the four men's T20Is that have been played here thus far. India won the last two T20Is played here. The first was against Australia in which they piled up a big total and defended it and the second was against South Africa before that, in which they bowledmout the opposition for 106 and won. However, this series has consistently featured belters across grounds in the country and it would be a bit of a surprise if we don't get similar conditions in Thiruvananthapuram as well.

Jan 31, 2026 05:04 PM IST
India vs New Zealand 5th T20I, Live Cricket Score: Sunil Gavaskar on Shivam Dube

“I thought he grabbed the opportunity really well. As you said, when you bat at six or seven, you’re probably getting three or four overs with a strong Indian batting line-up. But this time India lost early wickets, and he had to come in sooner. He showed intent from the very first ball — that first-ball six was one of the longest you’ll see, right into the second tier. When you strike a shot like that early, your confidence soars. He knows that if he connects, the ball is going into the stands because he’s got that power, the swing, and the timing. It ended up being the third-fastest fifty for India, which is remarkable — you’re talking about Yuvraj Singh, Abhishek Sharma, and now Shivam Dube,” said Gavaskar while speaking on Star Sports.

Jan 31, 2026 04:56 PM IST
India vs New Zealand 5th T20I, Live Cricket Score: What did Sitanshu Kotak say?

"Abhishek is someone who plays a lot of shots, but his shots don't seem like somebody's slogging. It seems like he is playing more on merit of the ball"

Jan 31, 2026 04:47 PM IST
India vs New Zealand 5th T20I, Live Cricket Score: What did Matt Henry say

"T20 cricket is about confidence, how do you keep coming back and challenging batters when you're under pressure, how do you find a way to make it work. I think that's where you put your energy because you can't control the outcome but if you keep turning up, you keep learning. And I think that's probably a highlight of this series for us"

Jan 31, 2026 04:37 PM IST
India vs New Zealand 5th T20I, Live Cricket Score: IND probable XI

Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh

Jan 31, 2026 04:24 PM IST
India vs New Zealand 5th T20I, Live Cricket Score: NZ probable XI

Tim Seifert (wk), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner (c), Zakary Foulkes, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Jacob Duffy

Jan 31, 2026 04:14 PM IST
India vs New Zealand 5th T20I, Live Cricket Score: Hola!

Hello and welcome to our live blog for the IND vs NZ final T20I. There is not much to look into from the series perspective, but what matters today and the one thing solely is the form of Sanju Samson. His doing well will tick all the boxes for the Indian side, and if not, will leave a somewhat bitter taste in the mouths of the squad going into the marquee campaign with a few questions hanging.

One wait ends, another begins: Sanju Samson in spotlight on his homecoming

Sanju’s emergence is an outlier story in the capital city. Thiruvananthapuram is not a city that lends itself to the passionate pursuit of sports. Rather, it is wedded to academics, the weight of textbooks hunches young shoulders more than sporting kits; the race for a government job throbs in the city. The sprawling century-old secretariat building, with its unflinching clock tower and multi-pane windows, stands as the symbol of the city’s middle-class aspirations. It’s a city where kingdoms and dynasties rise and fall, but people move on unsympathetically. But he has made them shed tears and made them laugh.

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