Arshdeep Singh closing in on a T20I record for India in Auckland

By MaidanBeat Desk · 30 October 2026, 8:51 AM IST

Arshdeep Singh closing in on a T20I record for India in Auckland
Illustration: AI-generated image, not a photograph of the event

Arshdeep Singh needs one more wicket to become the first Indian bowler to reach 150 men’s T20I wickets, and the fourth T20I against New Zealand in Auckland could bring the milestone. He has 149 wickets from 102 T20I appearances, according to Outlook.

India lead the five-match series 3-0 going into the match on Friday. Captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and chose to chase, ANI reports, with Ishan Kishan and Mayank Yadav back in the XI.

Race to 150

Outlook reports that Arshdeep is India’s leading wicket-taker in men’s T20Is. The Tribune had him on 148 wickets in 101 T20Is before the third match in Wellington, where he took 1 for 33 from his four overs in India’s six-wicket win.

New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner is also one wicket from 150, so both men could reach the mark in the same game.

A record year

After the second T20I in Christchurch, The Tribune said Arshdeep had 38 wickets in 2026 at an average of 24.78. That, it said, set a new Indian record for T20I wickets in a calendar year and passed Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s mark, which was four years old.

State of the series

In the New Zealand vs India T20I Series 2026, which runs from 22 October to 1 November, India won the first T20I by 4 wickets, chasing 225/4 with 230/6. They won the second by 4 wickets as well, and the third by 6 wickets, reaching 199/4 in 13.2 overs against New Zealand’s 198/3.

The fifth T20I follows on Sunday, 1 November at 12:30 PM IST. The ODI series then starts on Wednesday, 4 November at 7:30 AM IST, with the second ODI on Saturday, 7 November at 7:30 AM IST.

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