Nitish Kumar Reddy said the conviction that a single dominant over could flip the pressure onto the bowlers was what kept him and Tilak Varma focused during their match-winning seventh-wicket partnership, as India chased down 181 to beat New Zealand by four wickets in the second T20I at Hagley Oval, Christchurch, on 24 October 2026. The result hands India a 2-0 lead in the five-match series with three games still to play.

The Partnership That Changed Everything

India were in serious danger at 70 for five following a top-order collapse before Nitish walked out to join Tilak in the 15th over. The two 'Hyderabadi boys,' as they have been dubbed, stitched together an unbroken 69 runs off just 30 balls — India's highest seventh-wicket partnership in men's T20 internationals — to complete the heist with a ball to spare.

Tilak Varma finished unbeaten on 51 off 26 balls, while Nitish sealed the victory with the winning runs, ending on 26 not out off 13 balls.

Nitish Reddy on the Match-Winning Mindset

'It's just the moment when I walked in and I got that four, we were just talking like we have to believe that we're going to get one strong good over,' Nitish said at the post-match press conference. 'That's what a T20 game is always about — one good over and the pressure situation can change to the bowler's side. We would just keep believing in it.'

He highlighted the pair's running between the wickets as a key factor. 'On the good balls also we ran twos. Then for the bad balls, we punished it for fours and boundaries. We used the dimensions and we could see the bowlers were in pressure — from nowhere we got it to somewhere,' he added.

How the Chase Unfolded in the Final Overs

India required 13.6 runs per over heading into the last five overs, a rate that climbed to 15.33 after the 17th over with Tilak on 17 off 13 balls. The partnership then erupted: 17 runs came off Jacob Duffy's 18th over, including two Tilak boundaries, followed by 18 runs off Nathan Smith in the 19th. That left India needing 11 off the final over, which Nitish wrapped up by clipping between deep midwicket and deep backward square leg for a brace to complete the win.

Nitish credited the New Zealand bowlers for keeping the contest alive. 'I would give credit to Henry — Matt Henry was bowling pretty good — and Duffy as well. They had a pretty good power play and Santner was bowling really well in the middle overs. It's just about one good over and the game just changes,' he said.

Gambhir's Role and the Message from the Dressing Room

Asked whether head coach Gautam Gambhir had sent out any tactical instructions mid-chase, Nitish revealed the guidance had always been about self-belief rather than specific orders. 'There was no message, actually. But always, Gautam sir keeps telling us that no matter what situation we are in, we have to keep believing in ourselves. He didn't give us any extra pressure to straight away go bang, bang, bang — we just played to ourselves,' Nitish said.

Fitness Battles and the Road Ahead

Nitish's comeback has been hard-earned. A quadriceps injury ruled him out of India's T20I tours to Ireland and England, as well as the Test tour of Sri Lanka. He acknowledged the occupational hazard of being an all-rounder but said he was focused on turning up every day. 'Nobody likes to get injured, but it's just something which I'm working on. If I turn up and play for my team the next day, that would be a great sign for me,' he said.

Notably, Nitish attended an optional practice session on Friday specifically to adapt to the extra bounce New Zealand pitches offer compared to Indian conditions — a small detail that underscores his preparation ethic ahead of the rest of the series.

The five-match series moves to Wellington for the third T20I on 27 October, with India firmly in control and a 2-0 advantage to defend.