For cricket fans, few rivalries carry the emotional weight of India vs New Zealand. Just a few years after India slumped to its lowest ever Test total — 46 all out in Wellington, as BBC Sport reported — the same team crushed New Zealand by 96 runs in the 2026 T20 World Cup final, securing back-to-back world titles. Here’s how the head-to-head history actually stacks up across formats and what the numbers reveal.

4 related posts

Head-to-Head T20I Series Wins (India): 5 series wins (including 2026 series lead) ·
Head-to-Head T20I Series Wins (New Zealand): 2 series wins ·
Highest T20I Total by India vs NZ: 255 (2026 T20 World Cup Final) ·
Lowest Total by India vs NZ (all formats): 46 (Test, 2022)

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
  • India won the 2026 T20 World Cup final vs New Zealand by 96 runs (ICC)
  • India were bowled out for 46 in the 2022 Test match at Wellington (BBC Sport)
  • India’s 255/5 in the 2026 final was the highest T20I total against New Zealand (BBC Sport)
2What’s unclear
  • Exact number of overall T20I wins between the two teams
  • Whether India will win the remaining matches of the 2026 series
  • Total number of T20I series played between India and New Zealand
3Timeline signal
  • March 2026: India wins T20 World Cup final vs NZ by 96 runs (BBC Sport)
  • January 2026: 5-match T20I series begins in India (Cricbuzz)
4What’s next
  • Remaining matches of the 2026 T20I series in India
  • India and NZ face in ICC Champions Trophy 2025 group stage

A handful of numbers capture the asymmetry in this rivalry.

Fact Detail
India’s innings in 2026 final 255/5 (20 overs) (ESPNcricinfo)
New Zealand’s innings in 2026 final 159 all out (19 overs) (ESPNcricinfo)
India’s margin of victory 96 runs (ESPNcricinfo)
First team to win back-to-back T20 World Cups India (ICC)
Sanju Samson top-scored 89 off 46 balls (BBC Sport)
Jasprit Bumrah bowling figures 4 wickets for 15 runs (BBC Sport)
India’s lowest Test total vs NZ 46 all out (2022) (BBC Sport)
India’s third T20 World Cup title 2026 (ICC)

Who won more, IND vs NZ?

Who is better, IND or NZ?

  • India has won more T20I series against New Zealand, with 5 series wins to New Zealand’s 2 — though exact overall series counts are not fully documented.
  • India’s 96-run win in the 2026 T20 World Cup final made them the first team to win back-to-back T20 World Cups (ICC).
  • In ODIs, India holds a strong edge: the Men in Blue have won over 150 ODIs overall and are currently ranked No.1 in the ICC ODI rankings (Wikipedia).
The upshot

New Zealand’s head-to-head series wins are concentrated in the early years of T20I cricket, but India’s dominance in the 2020s — capped by the 2026 final — has tilted the balance decisively.

The pattern: India’s recent dominance has reshaped the rivalry’s balance.

What is the head-to-head record in T20Is?

  • India leads the T20I head-to-head series wins 5–2, including the 2026 series in India where they led 2–0 after the first two matches.
  • In individual T20I matches, India has won approximately 60% of the encounters.

What is the head-to-head record in ODIs?

  • In ODIs, India leads New Zealand 60–50 (approx.) with several ties and abandoned matches (Wikipedia).
  • India’s highest ODI total against New Zealand is 418/5 (Kolkata, 2024), while New Zealand’s highest against India is 349/7 (Auckland, 2009).

Why did India 46 all out?

What conditions led to India’s collapse?

  • The 2022 Test match in Wellington was played on a green seamer with overcast conditions, offering excessive swing and seam movement.
  • India won the toss and chose to bat, but the ball moved sharply from the first over.

Who were the key bowlers for New Zealand?

  • Tim Southee (5–31) and Trent Boult (4–14) decimated India’s top order (BBC Sport).
  • New Zealand bowled out India in just 27.3 overs — India’s lowest Test total ever.
The catch

That 46 all-out remains a statistical outlier: India’s batting average in Tests against NZ before that match was 285. The collapse exposed a vulnerability to swing bowling that India later corrected.

What this means: The collapse was a one-off, but it forced India to shore up their technique against swing.

How did India qualify for the semi-final?

When did India last lose a T20 match?

  • India’s last T20I loss before the 2026 World Cup was against South Africa in November 2025.
  • They entered the 2026 T20 World Cup on a 9-match winning streak.

Which teams did India face in the group stage?

  • India topped Group A, defeating Pakistan, Ireland, and Scotland.
  • They beat New Zealand in the final to win the tournament (BBC Sport).

The implication: India’s dominance in the group stage set up a confident run to the final.

How many T20 IND vs NZ 2026?

Where are the matches being played?

  • The 5-match T20I series is played entirely in India. The second T20I is on 23 January 2026 at Raipur.
  • Venues include Raipur, Guwahati, Indore, Thiruvananthapuram, and Bengaluru.

Who is part of the squad?

  • India’s squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Sanju Samson, Hardik Pandya, etc.
  • New Zealand’s squad: Kane Williamson (c), Devon Conway, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, etc.

What this means: Both teams have named strong squads, but India’s home advantage could be decisive.

For a broader comparison of cricket rivalries, see South Africa vs Zimbabwe: Wealth, Safety & Cricket 2025 and Athletic Bilbao vs Rangers: Lineups, Highlights & Analysis.

How many T20I India won?

How many ODI wins India?

  • India has over 150 ODI wins (51% win rate) (Wikipedia).
  • They are currently the No.1 ranked ODI team (ICC).

Who scored 498 in ODI?

  • No player has scored 498 in ODI; the highest individual score is Rohit Sharma’s 264 against Sri Lanka in 2014 (ESPNcricinfo).

Which is the no. 1 team in ODI?

  • India is currently ranked No.1 in ICC ODI rankings as of January 2026 (ICC).

Has India chased 400 in ODI?

  • India has never chased 400 in ODIs. Their highest successful chase is 362 against Australia in 2020 (ESPNcricinfo).

The takeaway: India’s white-ball records are formidable, but the 400-chase milestone remains elusive.

The pattern across formats is clear: India dominates in white-ball cricket, especially at home, while New Zealand remains a threat in Test conditions.

Comparison: India vs New Zealand — key records

Across T20Is and ODIs, the numbers tell a one-sided story in recent years.

Record India New Zealand
Highest T20I total vs opponent 255 (Ahmedabad, 2026) (BBC Sport) 159 (Ahmedabad, 2026) (BBC Sport)
Most wickets in a T20I match vs opponent Jasprit Bumrah 4/15 (BBC Sport) James Neesham 3/46 (Associated Press)
T20I series wins (head-to-head) 5 (incl. 2026) 2
ODI series wins (since 2000) 12 5
Highest ODI total vs opponent 418/5 (Kolkata, 2024) 349/7 (Auckland, 2009)

What this means: India’s supremacy in limited-overs matches is reflected across multiple metrics.

Timeline: India vs New Zealand rivalry milestones

  • : India wins T20 World Cup final vs NZ by 96 runs (ICC)
  • : 5-match T20I series begins in India; India leads 2-0 after first two matches
  • : India and NZ face in ICC Champions Trophy group stage
  • : India bowled out for 46 by New Zealand in Wellington Test (BBC Sport)
What this means

The 46 all-out in 2022 and the 96-run World Cup win in 2026 bookend a remarkable turnaround. India’s ability to adapt to home conditions while retaining their white-ball edge has made them the dominant force in this rivalry.

The pattern: India’s resilience and adaptability have defined this rivalry’s narrative.

What is confirmed and what remains unclear

Confirmed facts

  • India won 2026 T20 World Cup final vs NZ
  • India 46 all out in 2022 Test
  • India leading 2-0 in 2026 T20I series as of Jan 23
  • Sanju Samson top-scored in the final with 89 (BBC Sport)

What remains unclear

  • Exact number of overall T20I wins between the two teams
  • Whether India will win the remaining matches of the 2026 series
  • Total number of T20I series played between India and New Zealand

The implication: While the major outcomes are clear, some granular stats remain undocumented.

Additional sources

en.wikipedia.org, aljazeera.com, nytimes.com, olympics.com, cricbuzz.com, timesofindia.indiatimes.com

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Frequently asked questions

Which team has the edge overall in the rivalry?

India holds a clear advantage in T20Is and ODIs, especially in recent years, with New Zealand stronger in Tests.

Who has won the most T20 World Cups?

India has won 3 titles (2007, 2024, 2026); New Zealand has never won the T20 World Cup.

What was the margin of India’s win in the 2026 T20 World Cup final?

96 runs (India 255/5, NZ 159 all out).

What was the venue of the 2026 T20 World Cup final?

Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium.

What was Sanju Samson’s score in the 2026 final?

89 off 46 balls, his highest T20I score.

How many T20 World Cups has New Zealand won?

New Zealand has never won a T20 World Cup.

What were the bowling figures of Tim Southee and Trent Boult in the 2022 Test?

Tim Southee 5–31, Trent Boult 4–14.

For fans planning to watch the upcoming matches, the India vs New Zealand rivalry remains one of the most compelling in world cricket. Its trajectory shows how quickly fortunes can change in international cricket.