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India Secure Series Lead Ahead of Fourth T20I at Auckland’s Eden Park
India have arrived in Auckland for the fourth T20I against New Zealand, with the five‑match series already decided. The Indians won the opening match in Wellington on 27 October by six wickets, chasing 199 in 13.2 overs. Abhishek Sharma scored 113 off 38 balls and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi added 45 off 19 balls. Ishan Kishan is out with a right adductor strain, so Sooryavanshi is expected to open again. Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav are still waiting for a bowling opportunity.
Eden Park has been a difficult venue for New Zealand. They have won only 12 of their 33 men’s T20Is there, and India have beaten them in all three encounters. The ground is one of the smallest in international cricket, with straight boundaries the shortest in the world and square boundaries about 55 metres. The short limits make it a batting wicket, giving bowlers little margin for error.
In the 33 men’s T20Is played at Eden Park, New Zealand have won 12, lost 16, tied four and had one no‑result. India’s record is perfect, winning all three matches against New Zealand. In the 28 full‑length T20Is, teams batting first have won 13 and chasing teams 12, with three ties. Evening games have made chasing easier, and India have won all three matches batting second.
The average first‑innings score at Eden Park is 175 across the 28 full‑length matches that produced a result or a tie. In the last ten of those games the average rises to 180. Eight first‑innings totals of 200 or more have been made here. The lowest total defended in a full‑length match is West Indies’ 164 for 6 on 5 November 2025, when they won by seven runs. The highest team total is Australia’s 245 for 5 in 18.5 overs against New Zealand on 16 February 2018. India’s best at the ground is 204 for 4 in 19 overs on 24 January 2020.
The lowest team total at Eden Park in a full‑length T20I is Bangladesh’s 76 in 9.3 overs on 1 April 2021, a match cut to 10 overs per side. New Zealand’s two lowest totals in full‑length games were 102 in 17 overs by Australia on 23 February 2024 and 107 in 14.5 overs against South Africa in February 2017.
The highest individual score at Eden Park is Hasan Nawaz’s 105 not out off 45 balls for Pakistan against New Zealand on 21 March 2025. Martin Guptill’s 105 off 54 balls for New Zealand against Australia in February 2018 is second. The best bowling figures are Tim Southee’s 5 for 18 in four overs against Pakistan on 26 December 2010.
In terms of cumulative runs, Martin Guptill leads with 626 runs in 17 innings (average 39.12, strike rate 170.10). Colin Munro is second with 421 runs in 13 innings, and Ross Taylor is third with 334 runs. For wickets, Tim Southee leads with 23 wickets in 16 matches (average 20.69, economy 8.73). Lockie Ferguson and Tim Santner are second and third, and both are in New Zealand’s squad for the series.