New Zealand won its first-ever bilateral ODI series in India by defeating the hosts by 41 runs in the final match at Holkar Stadium in Indore on Sunday, January 18, 2026. They took the three-match series 2-1, even though Virat Kohli scored his 54th ODI century during the game.
Quick Summary
| Match | India vs New Zealand, 3rd ODI |
| Venue | Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore |
| Date | January 18, 2026 |
| Toss | India won the toss and elected to field |
| New Zealand | 337/8 (50 overs) |
| India | 296 all out (46 overs) |
| Result | New Zealand won by 41 runs |
| Series | New Zealand won the 3-match series 2-1 |
| Man of the Match | Daryl Mitchell (New Zealand) – 137 runs |
| Key Performer | Glenn Phillips – 106 runs (88 balls) |
Historic Triumph for Black Caps
The visitors clinched their maiden bilateral series victory on Indian soil, ending a 37-year drought dating back to 1988 when India won the ODI series 4-0. New Zealand had previously lost all seven bilateral ODI encounters in India before this historic triumph.
The Black Caps sealed the series with a commanding 41-run victory after posting 337/8 in 50 overs and restricting India to 296 all out in 46 overs.
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How Mitchell and Phillips Power New Zealand?
Daryl Mitchell played an outstanding knock, scoring 137 runs from 131 balls, hitting 15 fours and three sixes. Glenn Phillips smashed an impressive 106 runs off 88 balls, including nine fours and three sixes. Together, they pulled New Zealand out of a tough spot at 58/3 by building a massive 219-run fourth-wicket stand in just 186 balls.
Mitchell, who had scored 84 in the series opener and 131 not out in the second ODI, finished with 352 runs in the three-match series at an average of 176, the highest by a New Zealand batter in a bilateral ODI series against India. The 137-run knock marked his fourth ODI century in India and his second consecutive hundred of the series.
Captain Michael Bracewell added an unbeaten 28 off 18 balls, including three sixes and a four, to propel New Zealand to a challenging total. For India, Arshdeep Singh claimed 3/63 in his 10 overs, while Harshit Rana took 3/84 despite being expensive.
India’s Chase Falls Short
Chasing 338, India suffered an early collapse to 71/4 in the 13th over, losing Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul before reaching the 100-run mark. Kohli led the resistance with 124 off 108 balls, hitting 10 fours and three sixes to register his 54th ODI century and 85th international hundred.
The knock saw him surpass Ricky Ponting as the highest run-getter at number three in ODI history, reaching 12,663 runs compared to Ponting’s 12,662. Nitish Kumar Reddy provided crucial support with 53 off 57 balls, his maiden ODI half-century, featuring two fours and two sixes. The pair added 88 runs for the fifth wicket to keep India in the contest.
Harshit Rana then joined Kohli in a counter-attacking 99-run partnership for the seventh wicket, slamming a maiden ODI fifty with 52 off 43 balls, including four fours and four sixes. The stand threatened to pull India back into the match before Zakary Foulkes dismissed Rana and Mohammed Siraj in consecutive deliveries.
Kohli eventually miscued a shot off Kristian Clarke and was caught by Mitchell at long-off, effectively ending India’s challenge. The hosts were bowled out for 296 in 46 overs, losing their first ODI at the Holkar Stadium after seven consecutive victories.
For New Zealand, Clarke finished with 3/54, Foulkes claimed 3/77, and Jayden Lennox took 2/42.
India Vs New Zealand ODI Series Overview
India won the opening ODI in Vadodara by four wickets on January 11, with Kohli scoring 93 off 91 balls to guide the hosts to victory, chasing 301. New Zealand leveled the series with a seven-wicket win in Rajkot on January 14, as Mitchell struck an unbeaten 131 off 117 balls and Will Young contributed 87 in a 162-run partnership.
The third ODI in Indore sealed New Zealand’s first-ever ODI series win in India, adding to their historic 3-0 Test series victory in 2024.
What’s Next?
The two teams will meet in a five-match T20I series starting Wednesday, January 21, at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur. The series serves as final preparation ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, which begins February 7 and will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka until March 8.
Match Scorecards – 3RD ODI
Let’s have a look into match scorecard:
New Zealand Innings – 337/8 (50 Overs)
| Batsman | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate |
| Henry Nicholls | b Arshdeep Singh | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Devon Conway | c Ravindra Jadeja b Harshit Rana | 5 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 35.71 |
| Will Young | c Ravindra Jadeja b Harshit Rana | 30 | 48 | 2 | 1 | 62.5 |
| Daryl Mitchell | c Kuldeep Yadav b Mohammed Siraj | 137 | 131 | 15 | 3 | 104.58 |
| Glenn Phillips | c KL Rahul b Arshdeep Singh | 106 | 88 | 9 | 3 | 120.45 |
| Mitchell Hay | c Ravindra Jadeja b Harshit Rana | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Michael Bracewell (c) | not out | 28 | 18 | 1 | 3 | 155.56 |
| Zakary Foulkes | c Shubman Gill b Arshdeep Singh | 10 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 111.11 |
| Kristian Clarke | not out | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 150 |
| Extras | (lb 7, w 10, nb 1) | 18 | ||||
| Total | (8 wickets, 50 overs) | 337 | 6.74 |
India Bowling Figures
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
| Arshdeep Singh | 10 | 1 | 63 | 3 | 6.3 |
| Harshit Rana | 10 | 0 | 84 | 3 | 8.4 |
| Mohammed Siraj | 10 | 0 | 43 | 1 | 4.3 |
| Nitish Kumar Reddy | 8 | 0 | 53 | 0 | 6.63 |
| Kuldeep Yadav | 6 | 0 | 48 | 1 | 8 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | 6 | 0 | 41 | 0 | 6.83 |
India Batting – 296 All Out (46 Overs)
| Batsman | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate |
| Rohit Sharma | c Mitchell Hay b Zakary Foulkes | 11 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 84.62 |
| Shubman Gill (c) | b Kyle Jamieson | 23 | 18 | 4 | 0 | 127.78 |
| Virat Kohli | c Daryl Mitchell b Kristian Clarke | 124 | 108 | 10 | 3 | 114.81 |
| Shreyas Iyer | c Mitchell Hay b Kristian Clarke | 3 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 30 |
| KL Rahul | c Mitchell Hay b Jayden Lennox | 1 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Nitish Kumar Reddy | c Will Young b Kristian Clarke | 53 | 57 | 2 | 2 | 92.98 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | c Will Young b Jayden Lennox | 12 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 75 |
| Harshit Rana | c Kyle Jamieson b Zakary Foulkes | 52 | 43 | 4 | 4 | 120.93 |
| Mohammed Siraj | b Zakary Foulkes | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kuldeep Yadav | run out (Kristian Clarke/Glenn Phillips) | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 166.67 |
| Arshdeep Singh | not out | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 200 |
| Extras | (lb 3, w 5) | 8 | ||||
| Total | (All out, 46 overs) | 296 | 6.43 |
NEW ZEALAND Bowling Figures
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
| Kristian Clarke | 9 | 0 | 54 | 3 | 6 |
| Zakary Foulkes | 9 | 0 | 77 | 3 | 8.56 |
| Kyle Jamieson | 9 | 0 | 57 | 1 | 6.33 |
| Jayden Lennox | 10 | 0 | 42 | 2 | 4.2 |
| Michael Bracewell | 6 | 0 | 43 | 0 | 7.17 |
| Glenn Phillips | 3 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 6.67 |
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