India vs New Zealand: Tilak Varma Leads Catching Chart

In the second T20 International against New Zealand in Christchurch, Tilak Varma stood out in the field. The Indian vice-captain held two catches at Hagley Oval and moved to the top of the all-time list for most catches by a fielder in one calendar year in T20I cricket.

His total of 26 catches in 2026 is one more than the 25 taken by Indonesia's Danilson Hawo in 2025. Varma reached the mark by dismissing Tim Seifert and Daryl Mitchell, which were the two catches he needed before this match.

The first catch was a straightforward effort at cover. Seifert had played a poor shot to a delivery from Arshdeep Singh. The second came when Mitchell's bat-edge sent the ball behind, and Varma completed the catch without any trouble.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar also claimed his first wicket of the series with Mitchell's dismissal. He is back in the Indian team after four years.

This season, Varma has taken 26 catches in 30 innings. His reliability in the field has been one of the key features of India's campaign in 2026.

India opted to bowl first. New Zealand scored 180 for 5 in their 20 overs. Glenn Phillips made 70 off 43 balls, and Bevon Jacobs made 58 off 46 balls. Arshdeep Singh was the leading bowler for India with 2 wickets.