It happened in the middle of a blowout. Mitchell Santner swung the ball, hit the stumps, and Nitish Kumar Reddy was out of the game. That dismissal wasn't just a wicket; it was a statistical banner. With that click, Santner reached 32 T20I wickets against India, instantly dethroning Ish Sodhi (30) and etching his name into the record books as the all-time leading wicket-taker in the shortest format against the world's biggest cricket nation.
But the numbers don't stop at the series chart. Santner's 151st career T20I wicket made him only the third New Zealander to cross the 150-wicket mark in the format. His numbers against India are brutal: two four-wicket hauls in 31 matches, with best figures of 4/11. He’s the nemesis. The data backs up the reputation.
The match itself? A masterclass. Glenn Phillips was a force of nature, smashing 107 off just 49 balls. Michael Bracewell added another 65 from 25 deliveries, pushing New Zealand to a colossal 259/7—the highest T20I total ever posted against India. India, struggling to cope, were bowled out for 172/9. Jacob Duffy had four of them, but the batting masterclass made the chase a formality.
Santner, the captain, was the glue. Nine wickets in this series at an average of 11.22. He took 2/24 in this game, picking up Axar Patel in the process. His leadership is quietly rewriting New Zealand’s T20I identity.
New Zealand now hold a 3-1 series lead. One match remains, but the momentum is entirely in their hands.