Mitchell Santner Claims Record as New Zealand Dominates India in Fourth T20I

New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner reached a significant career milestone during the fourth T20I against India in Auckland on Friday, officially becoming the leading wicket-taker for his country against the visitors in the shortest format. By dismissing Nitish Kumar Reddy, the spinner moved to 32 wickets in 31 T20I appearances against India, surpassing the previous record of 30 held by Ish Sodhi.

The achievement was part of a dominant performance by the Black Caps, who secured their first win of the five-match series with an 87-run victory. Santner finished the match with figures of 2/24, having also claimed the wicket of Axar Patel. His contributions throughout the series have been pivotal, with the captain now tallying nine wickets at an average of 11.22.

The victory was set up by a formidable batting display from the hosts. Glenn Phillips struck a blistering 107 off 49 balls, supported by Michael Bracewell, who contributed 65 from just 25 deliveries. Their efforts propelled New Zealand to a total of 259/7, marking the highest T20I score ever recorded against India. In response, the Indian batting lineup struggled against the New Zealand attack, with Jacob Duffy claiming four wickets to restrict the visitors to 172/9. Despite the result, India maintains a 3-1 lead in the series heading into the final encounter.