Team India top embarrassing list under Shreyas Iyer's captaincy

Team India's New Zealand tour began with a bang on Thursday (October 22) as they registered their highest successful run chase in T20Is at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch, overhauling a target of 226 with two balls to spare.

Sanju Samson (67 off 33) and Shreyas Iyer (42 off 28) laid the foundation for the chase before Naman Dhir produced a stunning unbeaten 42 off just 15 deliveries to guide the Men in Blue over the line.

While India will earn plaudits for their record-breaking chase, it cannot mask yet another underwhelming bowling performance that forced them into such a daunting pursuit in the first place.

The series opener against New Zealand marked the first time in a T20I that five Indian bowlers conceded more than 40 runs. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Nitish Kumar Reddy went wicketless while leaking 49 and 40 runs respectively. Arshdeep Singh, Mayank Yadav and Axar Patel picked up a wicket each but conceded 45, 40 and 51 runs respectively.

India's bowlers were taken apart for 18 fours and 10 sixes, and, interestingly, the side now tops the list of teams to have conceded the most boundaries and sixes in T20Is since the 2026 T20 World Cup final.

The Men in Blue have conceded 279 fours and 153 sixes during that period, both the highest among all teams. Zimbabwe sit second on the list, having conceded 176 fours and 69 sixes. Sri Lanka are third on the undesired list, having leaked 138 fours and 96 sixes.

Most boundaries conceded in men's T20Is since the conclusion of the 2026 T20 World Cup (Full Members)