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'There was no need to overcomplicate things' – Naman Dhir reflects on match-winning knock in 1st T20I vs New Zealand

Naman Dhir's unbeaten 42 off 15 balls (5 fours, 2 sixes) helped India chase down 226 in 19.4 overs to beat New Zealand in the opening T20I at Christchurch on October 23, 2026. Earlier, New Zealand scored 225 for 4, led by Glenn Phillips' 82* (40 balls), Finn Allen's 45 (24 balls), and Bevon Jacobs' 31 (16 balls).

India's chase was fueled by Sanju Samson's 67 (33 balls) and Abhishek Sharma's 29 (12 balls) in a 93-run opening stand. Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel steadied the innings after India fell to 122 for 4, with Iyer scoring 42 (28 balls).

Naman Dhir's finishing role was about simplicity: he explained that the team's plan was to hit two clean boundaries to end the game, which they successfully executed.

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