India beat New Zealand by four wickets in opening T20I

India beat New Zealand by four wickets in the opening T20I of their five-match series, chasing a target of 226 in Christchurch to take a 1-0 lead, according to a match account published ahead of the second game. New Zealand made 225 for four in 20 overs at Hagley Oval. Glenn Phillips top-scored with an unbeaten 82 from 40 balls, while Finn Allen added 45 off 24. India reached 230 for six in 19.4 overs to complete the chase. Sanju Samson scored 67 from 33 deliveries, and Naman Dhir finished unbeaten on 42 from 15 balls. Shreyas Iyer also made 42, off 28 deliveries. India’s innings included a 93-run powerplay, with Abhishek Sharma contributing 29 from 12 balls. The reported result puts India ahead in the series before the second T20I, scheduled for October 24 at Hagley Oval. The match is set to begin at 12:30 p.m. India time. New Zealand will have an opportunity to level the five-match series; India can extend its lead. The opening match had been preceded by forecasts of low rain chances in Christchurch. One forecast cited a 3% chance of rain for October 22 and about 1% around the scheduled 8 p.m. local start. Another forecast gave a 10% possibility of rain that evening. These...