India captain Shreyas Iyer made no bones about the fact that his T20I team needs to improve in the fielding department. The fifth and final T20I saw India putting down two chances, and Naman Dhir’s drop of Tim Seifert proved to be costly, with the opening batter hitting 93, helping New Zealand win the final game of the series by seven wickets.
India might have won the series 3-2, but the catching aspect needs serious attention and introspection. In 2026 itself, the Men in Blue have put down more than 60 chances in T20Is.
“We can brainstorm, and we have to work on a couple of things, especially fielding. That is one aspect of the game we need to improve on, but honestly, it’s not that easy when you come under such dark lights, clear skies,” Iyer said at the post-match presentation.
The fifth T20I saw India bat first for the first time in the recently concluded five-match series. Shreyas (50) and Ishan Kishan (61) hit half-centuries, but a late flourish went missing, and India were restricted to 191/8.
New Zealand lost Finn Allen early, but Seifert made full use of being given a reprieve. He formed an 86-run stand with Glenn Phillips for the third wicket, and this partnership kept New Zealand ahead of the required run rate. Seifert couldn’t take New Zealand home, but Phillips (65*) ensured that the hosts cruised to victory.
Wanted to experiment
Shreyas admitted that his side wanted to experiment in the final two games after clinching the series in the first three T20Is. For the final game, India made two changes, bringing back Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Varun Chakaravarthy in place of Mayank Yadav and Axar Patel.
“We were a bit sloppy, but great learning. I think coming overseas, coming to New Zealand. Getting to play on such different occasions, different grounds, great learning curve,” said Shreyas.
“I feel we were in this position where we wanted to experiment and also challenge ourselves a bit more, and today was the right opportunity, and obviously we didn’t live up to it, but it was a great learning, as I mentioned,” he added.
Shreyas also rued that his team were unable to capitalise on the strong platform laid by him and Ishan, saying it proved costly in the end.
“We could have been better considering the start we got in the middle. Ishan and I created the momentum and then from there on we lost back-to-back wickets. And then suddenly, pressure on the new batter. It wasn’t an easy wicket to play on, especially when the ball was seaming and holding a bit and also skidding,” the Indian captain added.