Match overview
New Zealand beat India by 41 runs at Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore, on 18 January 2026. Batting first after India won the toss and chose to field, New Zealand posted 337/8. India's reply reached 296 all out, leaving them 41 runs short. DJ Mitchell was named Player of the Match. The result was New Zealand's second win in the current 2026 series against India, who had previously won four of the last five meetings between the sides. In the context of a head-to-head record that stands at 55 wins for India and 41 for New Zealand across 111 ODIs, this was a meaningful shift in the short-term series picture.
New Zealand's innings was built on a sustained middle-overs effort. They were cautious in the powerplay, reaching 47/2 from the opening ten overs, but then accumulated 191 runs for just 1 wicket in overs 11 through 40. That middle-overs phase effectively set the platform. The death overs produced 99 more runs, though at the cost of 5 wickets, to bring the total to 337. India's chase started encouragingly: 66 runs in the powerplay for 2 wickets is above the venue's powerplay average of 44 runs. Their middle phase, 164 for 4, kept them in the match. But the death overs, just 66 runs for 4 wickets mirroring their bowling phase, were not enough.
Venue and conditions
Holkar Cricket Stadium has hosted 62 ODIs. The average first-innings score is 177 and the average second-innings score is 166, figures that underline why New Zealand's 337 was so unusual here. Teams chasing have succeeded at a rate of 69% across those 62 matches, which on paper made India slight favourites once they had a target in front of them. The average powerplay contribution is 44 runs, and the average death-overs score is 36: both New Zealand and India's batters exceeded both benchmarks comfortably, which speaks to the quality of the batting on the day rather than any particular pitch assistance for bowlers.
The toss-field rate of 56% confirms that most captains here prefer to bowl first, so India's decision was in line with what the ground typically encourages. Spinners have historically had an influence at this venue, particularly in the middle overs, and the conditions in Indore in January can assist both off-spin and leg-spin as the surface dries. New Zealand's ability to score 191 runs in the middle phase for a single wicket suggests their batters read those conditions well.
How to watch
For UK-based fans, the India vs New Zealand ODI series is available live on Sky Sports Cricket. Matches can be streamed via Sky Go or NOW TV for those without a satellite subscription. Fixtures in India typically start between 08:00 and 09:30 GMT in January, so early-morning viewing is required. BBC Radio's TMS coverage does not generally extend to bilateral ODI series in India, but ball-by-ball updates are widely available via the BBC Sport app and ESPNcricinfo.
Recent form
New Zealand came into this match having beaten India just three games earlier in Vizag by 50 runs, a result that showed they were capable of matching India in Indian conditions. Before that, they had lost the first two games of this series by 96 runs and 46 runs respectively. Their two wins over West Indies in 2025 also showed consistent ODI form across formats. India's form coming in was largely strong: back-to-back wins over South Africa in 2025 and two ODI victories over New Zealand in this very series. Their only blemish was the Vizag defeat and a loss to South Africa. On current 2026 evidence, the series between these two sides is closer than the overall head-to-head record of 55–41 in India's favour suggests, and New Zealand's Indore win confirms that competitive gap has narrowed. The two sides will be expected to meet again in this series, with the balance of form making the next fixture genuinely open.
