Even though New Zealand lost the T20I series vs India 2-3, Glenn Phillips clearly emerged as the standout player across the two sides. He scored 341 runs in the series, finishing as the Player of the Series. The right-hander also broke Phil Salt's record of scoring the most runs in a bilateral five-match series.
There was an 82 not out, a 70, a relatively quiet 17, a blistering 107 and an unbeaten 65. There were four scores of 50 or more in five innings, just three dismissals, an average of 113.67 and a strike rate of 185.33.
The numbers are extraordinary, especially for T20 cricket. More importantly, they reflect a batter who no longer relies solely on explosive cameos of 30s or 40s. Phillips repeatedly converted starts into substantial scores, finding a way to influence games across different situations. But this series against India was more than just a purple patch. It was the latest indication of an evolution that had been taking shape over the past few years.
Growing consistency
A comparison of Glenn Phillips' T20I returns across 2023, 2024 and 2026 illustrates the progression that he has had. In 2023, he scored 208 runs in 10 matches at an average of 23.11 and a strike rate of 120.93. The following year, his returns improved to 354 runs in 16 matches, averaging 32.18 and striking at 128.26. He missed out on most of the 2025 season due to goin injuries.
In 2026, the numbers have moved up to another level. He has accumulated 526 runs in 17 T20Is at an average of 43.83 and a strike rate of 160.86. His average has nearly doubled from 2023, while his scoring rate has climbed by almost 40 runs per 100 balls.
{{/usCountry}}In 2026, the numbers have moved up to another level. He has accumulated 526 runs in 17 T20Is at an average of 43.83 and a strike rate of 160.86. His average has nearly doubled from 2023, while his scoring rate has climbed by almost 40 runs per 100 balls.
{{/usCountry}}| Year | Matches | Runs | Average | Strike rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 10 | 208 | 23.11 | 120.93 |
| 2024 | 16 | 354 | 32.18 | 128.26 |
| 2026 | 17 | 526 | 43.83 | 160.86 |
The improvement in his scoring was not merely about hitting more boundaries. It was about converting good starts into big scores. This consistency in getting big scores has been pretty visible in 2026. From one fifty each in 2023 and 2024, he has now scored 6 fifties and one hundred in 17 games in 2026.
In the series against India, he also showed the ability to pace his innings, particularly when New Zealand needed someone to bat deep.
Glenn Phillips' ability to turn starts into substantial scores is rooted in how he builds an innings across his T20I career. Phillips has scored around 64% of his T20I runs between overs 7 and 15 at a strike rate of 147.
Rather than forcing the pace from the outset, these statistics show that he uses this phase to settle in and assess the bowling before shifting gears.
His strike rate climbs to 190.7 from overs 15-20, underlining his ability to combine accumulation with explosive finishing.
This combination is what gives New Zealand something more valuable than a batter who simply attacks right from the get-go. Phillips can absorb pressure, assess the bowling options and build an innings before shifting gears.
His 107 off 49 balls in Auckland was the most emphatic example during the India series, but his unbeaten 82 and 65 showed that he could also construct an innings without losing his attacking intent.
Tim Seifert, who shared the dressing room with Phillips during the series, offered an explanation for what made the middle-order batter so difficult to contain.
"He didn't necessarily come out all guns blazing at the start, got himself in and then picked up his match-ups throughout the innings," Seifert said after the 5th T20I.
Glenn Phillips' power has never been in question. His ability to use that power to bring consistency to his game is what has made him into a dangerous batter.ALSO READ: IND vs NZ T20I series review: Iyer's team are chase masters, but bowling needs work
Can he become NZ's main man?
Glenn Phillips' record-breaking T20I series against India was not just about the runs he scored, but how he built them. This ability to read the bowling, absorb pressure and accelerate makes him a threat in the upcoming ODI and Test series too.
His ODI average rose from 40.71 in 2023/24 to 53.85 in 2024/25, when he scored 377 runs in 14 matches. In three ODIs in 2025/26, he has averaged 75, including a century.
His 106 against India in Indore earlier this year illustrated that ability to pace an innings. After New Zealand slipped to 58/3, he stitched together a 219-run stand with Daryl Mitchell before accelerating and scoring 137.
“You can take your time in an ODI, take it deeper and then play your shots,” Phillips himself said after the knock.
With key batters Rachin Ravindra and Mark Chapman missing out from the ODI series due to injury, New Zealand need a batter who can shoulder the responsibility and go on to build a big score. While Glenn Phillips may not be a like-for-like replacement for either Ravindra or Chapman, the way he took the responsibility of the entire batting order in the T20Is proves that the Kiwis can rely on him to be one of their mainstays in the ODI series.
The Test format, on the other hand, presents a different challenge, but Phillips has shown encouraging signs. He has scored 956 runs in 19 Tests at 35.41. Against England in 2026, he made 181 runs in two Tests at 60.33, including a century.
That marked a significant improvement on his 28.87 average in 2024/25, although his Test game is still evolving.
What sets him apart in the Test format is his ability to deliver with the ball too. In 19 matches, he has taken 33 wickets with his off-spin, even taking a five-wicket haul against Australia.
Reflecting on his growing attachment to the format, Phillips said: “I didn't realise how much I wanted to play Test cricket until I started bowling.”
For India, the challenge will be to stop him from dictating the tempo. The T20I series showed how dangerous he becomes once settled. In ODIs, he can build before unleashing his power; in Tests, he can rattle Shubman Gill's men with his all-round abilities.
The T20I series may have brought his improvement into focus, but the upcoming ODIs and Tests will offer Phillips an opportunity to show if that evolution has taken him to become New Zealand's new all-format mainstay.