New Zealand’s 2-1 series victory to start 2026 was a massive result, marking their first ODI series win on Indian soil since 2010. While the Indore crowd hoped for a big finish on Sunday, Michael Bracewell’s side played the pressure moments better, proving just how much the gap has closed.

It was a fascinating battle between India’s stars and a young and fearless Kiwi bowling unit. Debutant Kristian Clarke, with seven wickets in the series, showed maturity and promise for the Black Caps. Meanwhile, Daryl Mitchell scored 352 runs, anchoring the decider with a 137.

For Shubman Gill's team, this series is a growth blueprint. They need to fix issues in the middle order as they transition into a new era, and even Virat Kohli couldn't secure a win. However, Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy's grit offers optimism, showing talent to bounce back despite the series loss.

We briefly recap how each game in the series panned out.

1st ODI: Vadodara

India went 1-0 up after a tight chase in Vadodara. Virat Kohli’s 93 and Shreyas Iyer’s 49 did most of the work, but it was KL Rahul who actually closed it out, smashing boundaries in the 49th over to win it. New Zealand’s 300/8—built on Mitchell’s 84—looked solid, but India hunted it down with six balls to spare.

2nd ODI: Rajkot

New Zealand beat India in Rajkot to tie the series. KL Rahul’s 112 was a bright spot in India’s 284/7, while Kristian Clarke’s 3/56 limited the hosts' scoring. The chase was easy work for the Kiwis. Daryl Mitchell’s unbeaten 131 and Will Young’s 87 saw them home in 47.3 overs without any real drama.

3rd ODI: Indore

Indore was the only home venue where India had a 100% win record in ODIs (min 5 matches), until New Zealand scripted a historic 41-run win. Daryl Mitchell, the hero of the second ODI, notched another century (137) with Glenn Phillips (106) whilst facing threatening bowling lengths from Arshdeep Singh (3/63). Chasing 338, India were bundled out for 296 despite Virat Kohli’s record 54th ODI ton (124) and efforts from Harshit Rana (54) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (53).

The Indian cricket team will look to push the ODI heartbreak behind as they gear up for the T20I series. And, they will look to take inspiration from Sarpanch Saab, who has bravely overcome a spleen injury to be available for the 20-over games starting Wednesday (Jan. 21). With just 19 days left until the start of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, hosts India will look to script the perfect warmup for the showpiece event with a success in the five-game series.