New Zealand posted 259/7 against India in the 4th T20I at Eden Park, Auckland on October 30, 2026, setting a new record as their highest total in T20 International cricket. The innings went past their previous best of 254/5, which had been set against Scotland in Edinburgh in 2022.
Glenn Phillips was the centrepiece of the New Zealand innings, scoring 107 runs off 49 balls and hitting 10 sixes. Michael Bracewell then accelerated the total further with 65 runs off only 25 balls, striking 6 sixes in the process, as the pair pushed New Zealand into record territory in the final overs.
India, captained by Shreyas Iyer who won the toss, had already sealed the T20I series before this match. Ishan Kishan returned to India’s playing XI for the game while Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was left out. In the bowling attack, Mayank Yadav came in as a replacement for Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
How does 259/7 compare to New Zealand’s earlier T20I batting records?
Before the Edinburgh total of 254/5 against Scotland in 2022, New Zealand’s highest T20I scores had been recorded in 2018. That year, they posted 243/5 against West Indies at Mount Maunganui and also scored 243/6 against Australia in Auckland, and both those totals stood as their joint-highest T20I marks at the time. The 259/7 at Eden Park in Auckland now stands well clear of all those earlier figures.
The 2026 Auckland total eclipses every score New Zealand had previously managed in home conditions, a record which they had already broken in this series, in the first ODI. They also hit 20 sixes in the innings, which is their highest tally ever in a T20I clash. Phillips’ century was also his third in T20Is, and with all three coming at number 4, he tied Suryakumar Yadav for the joint second-most centuries in T20Is coming in at number 4 or lower.
Where does 259/7 sit among the highest T20I totals posted against India?
The 259/7 is now the highest T20I total ever recorded against India, moving past a cluster of large scores that opponents have posted against them in recent years. England made 257/3 at Southampton in 2026, which had briefly held the record as the highest T20I total against India. West Indies scored 252/4 at Ranchi in 2026, placing them third on that list.
Earlier in the record chart, scores of 247, 246 and 245 had been posted against India, with some of those dating back to 2016. Those efforts included innings by West Indies at Hyderabad and at Lauderhill, and by England at Wankhede. New Zealand’s 259/7 at Auckland now sits at the top of all totals posted against India across T20I history.
