IND vs NZ 5th T20I Results

5:51 PM IST India's Arshdeep Singh is up for a quick chat - He says that it's a great learning for him to stay in the present and not worry too much about what happened in the first spell. Cheekily says that it is just for cameras that he looks calm, but he feels the pressure as well. Adds that lately he has been going for some runs, and needs to have a chat with Morne Morkel to improve in that aspect. Mentions that he enjoyed some of the shots that Finn played, but could have done some better planning. Tells that they knew that the Kiwis would come hard at them, and the talk in the huddle was about body language, to give their all and try and restrict them under 180. Further adds that they did score many runs,  ht he is happy to be on the winning side. Admits that the perfect game hasn't come yet, where everything clicks, but it is as good as it can come in the upcoming World Cup.

5:49 PM IST New Zealand refused to concede - If India’s initial assault was ruthless, New Zealand’s reply was even more ferocious in nature. In pursuit of 272, they lost Seifert in the very first over, mirroring India’s early setback with Samson early in the Powerplay, but it barely slowed them down. The Kiwis stormed to 79 for 1 in the Powerplay, comfortably eclipsing India, with Finn Allen leading the charge through an effortless half-century off just 22 balls. Alongside Rachin Ravindra, Allen stitched together a blazing 100-run partnership that put the chase firmly on track.

5:45 PM IST That's a wrap to the series - Now then, Suryakumar Yadav receives the trophy from the BCCI President Mithun Manhas and walks towards his teammates, who eagerly wait for their skipper to join them in their celebrations behind the Winners board. That wraps up a high-scoring series, with India taking it 4-1. New Zealand showed glimpses of fight but in patches and couldn’t consistently handle the Indian batting onslaught. Still, they won’t go home empty-handed, having beaten the Men in Blue 2-1 in the preceding ODI series. Both teams now turn their focus to the ICC T20 World Cup, starting next Saturday, 7th February, and will be playing their warm-up games ahead of the main event. Until then, we sign off from here, only to meet again the next time. Take care, cheers!

5:38 PM IST PLAYER OF THE SERIES - The victorious captain of India, Suryakumar Yadav, receives the award for being the leading run scorer of the series. He says it feels incredible to have a performance like this after a long year and a long wait. He explains that he has stuck to his routine and trusted the process, knowing that he wasn’t out of form, just out of runs. Further adds that having a series like this just before the World Cup feels especially rewarding, while also reflecting on how he navigated a lean patch by going back to the drawing board and leaning on advice from close friends. He stresses that as a team, there’s always something to take from every game, win or lose. Says that they will analyse the five matches to build toward the World Cup. Acknowledging the challenges this format poses for bowlers, he says it’s all part of the learning curve. Yadav concludes that he’s thrilled the team has found momentum at the right time and is now eager to kick off their World Cup campaign.

5:34 PM IST PLAYER OF THE MATCH  is Ishan Kishan (103 runs off 43 balls) - He says that he just wanted to watch the ball and play accordingly. Adds that the plan is to always go for runs even if you are close to a milestone, if the ball is there, you go for it, and think about winning games. Mentions that he is still not at his absolute bes,t but his focus is on the World Cup and he wants to carry this same form into the bigger competition as well.

5:29 PM IST The captain of New Zealand - Mitchell Santner reflects on the series, saying that it had been a valuable learning experience for the team. He admits that India is a very strong side and notes that playing in their conditions is always challenging. Adds that while it might seem like the boundaries were pushed back a bit for bowlers, he says that the cricket remained entertaining. Santner explains that the main objective for New Zealand was to challenge themselves and gauge where they stand. He highlights that being consistently put under pressure, both for bowlers and batters, provides important lessons. Although the results did not go their way, he feels there were plenty of takeaways from every game as the team now shifts focus to the World Cup. One key insight for the bowling unit, he notes, is the importance of limiting damage against quality batters on flat pitches. Adds that the goal is to turn potentially expensive overs into ones that concede 15 or 16 runs instead of going over 20s. Mentions that in modern T20 cricket, where totals like 230 can still be chased, managing these key moments is crucial. Overall, Santner describes the series as a significant learning experience that he hopes will put New Zealand in a stronger position heading into the World Cup.