India opener and wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson joined an unwanted list during the second T20I against New Zealand at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Saturday, October 24. The right-handed batter failed to score off any of Matt Henry’s six deliveries, becoming the fifth Indian opener to face a maiden first over in men’s T20I cricket.
India captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and elected to bowl first. The visitors made an encouraging start with the ball, restricting New Zealand to 180/5 in their allotted 20 overs. However, Glenn Phillips and Bevon Jacobs helped the hosts recover from early setbacks with a crucial partnership.
Henry opened the bowling for New Zealand and immediately put Samson under pressure. The pacer consistently targeted the channel outside off stump, maintaining a disciplined line and length to deny the Indian opener any scoring opportunities.
WATCH – Shreyas Iyer Drops a Sitter as Bevon Jacobs Helps New Zealand Fight Back
Samson struggled to find the gaps and was beaten outside the edge on multiple occasions. Henry’s accuracy ensured that all six deliveries went for no runs, leaving India without a run on the board after the opening over.
With this effort, Samson became the latest Indian batter to face a maiden first over in men’s T20Is, joining KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Played a maiden over ✅️
Strike rate below 100 ✅️Sanju Samson decided to make this weekend more beautiful 🔥🔥 https://t.co/ywTt6jpot5
— TukTuk Academy (@TukTuk_Academy) October 24, 2026
Rahul tops the list, having faced a maiden first over on five occasions. Dhawan, Rohit and Jaiswal have experienced the same situation once each before Samson’s effort against Henry in 2026.
India’s fast bowlers initially controlled the contest. Arshdeep Singh dismissed Tim Seifert for seven, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar sent Daryl Mitchell back for six. Prince Yadav then bowled Finn Allen for 16 in the final over of the powerplay, leaving New Zealand struggling early in the innings.
WATCH – Prince Yadav Bowled Finn Allen With A Stunning Delivery In 2nd T20I
Phillips and Jacobs steadied the innings with a 116-run partnership. Phillips scored 70 off 43 balls, striking four boundaries and four sixes, while Jacobs contributed 50 off 40 deliveries.
The pair rotated the strike effectively before accelerating during the final seven overs, when New Zealand scored 99 runs. Both batters eventually fell after reaching their half-centuries, but Michael Bracewell’s late boundaries helped the hosts finish at 180/5.
Arshdeep was India’s leading wicket-taker with figures of 2/33. Bhuvneshwar, Prince and Nitish Kumar Reddy claimed one wicket apiece. New Zealand’s total was their fifth-highest T20I score against India at home.
