Nitish Reddy joins India's unwanted bowling record after costly spell in 4th T20I vs New Zealand

Summary

Nitish Reddy’s 4th‑innings spell in the fourth T20I against New Zealand in Auckland saw him concede 64 runs, placing him on a list of India’s most expensive T20I bowling performances.

Match details

• Series: India vs New Zealand – 5‑match T20I series
• Venue: Eden Park, Auckland
• Date & time: 23 May 2024, local time (NZST)
• Result: New Zealand 259/7, India 172/9 – New Zealand won by 87 runs (India lead 3‑1)
• Format: Twenty‑20 International (T20I)

Bowling performance

• Nitish Reddy: 4 overs, 0 maidens, 64 runs, 0 wickets (economy 16.00)
• Record context: Reddy’s figures tie him with Yuzvendra Chahal (vs South Africa, 2018) and Varun Chakravarthy (vs England, 2026) for the second‑most runs conceded by an Indian bowler in a T20I. The only higher figure is Krishnappa Gowda’s 68 runs against Australia in Guwahati, 2023.
• Overs 11‑20 runs conceded: India gave up 150 runs in this phase, the second‑most in its T20I history (behind 151 vs South Africa, Guwahati 2022).

How the innings unfolded

• New Zealand elected to bat first and built a massive total of 259/7.
• Glenn Phillips dominated the 16th over, scoring 32 runs off Reddy, including four consecutive sixes, and went on to make 107 off 49 balls – his third T20I century.
• Phillips and Michael Bracewell added 115 runs for the fifth wicket in just 41 deliveries.
• Reddy eventually dismissed Phillips after the New Zealand batter had passed 100, but the damage was already done.
• In response, India lost early wickets (Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan) to Jacob Duffy and could only manage 172/9, falling short by 87 runs.

Practical implications

• The spell highlights India’s ongoing vulnerability in the death overs, especially against aggressive power‑play batters.
• Team management may reassess bowler allocations for the final match of the series, potentially giving more overs to bowlers with better death‑over records.
• Fans can verify the figures on the official ICC match centre or reputable sports statistics sites such as ESPNcricinfo.

Keywords

• Nitish Reddy expensive spell
• India vs New Zealand T20I Auckland
• Glenn Phillips century
• Indian bowling records T20I
• Death‑over challenges India