In the fourth Twenty20 International (T20I) against India in Auckland on October 30, Glenn Phillips tied Martin Guptill’s record for the most Player of the Match (POTM) honours for New Zealand in T20Is. At a strike rate of 218.37, Phillips amassed 107 runs off 49 balls, including six fours and ten sixes, to register his third T20I century.
Phillips’ third T20I century came after a dominant innings of 107 off 49 balls in the series’ third Twenty20 International. He tied his own record for the fastest T20I century by a New Zealand hitter with his century, which came off 46 balls. In that game, New Zealand scored 259 for 7, exceeding their previous best T20I total of 254 for 5, which Scotland had given up at Edinburgh on July 29, 2022. India was later defeated by New Zealand by 87 runs.
Most Player of the Match Awards for New Zealand in T20Is
| Player | Player of the Match Awards | T20I Matches |
|---|---|---|
| Glenn Phillips | 10 | 101 |
| Martin Guptill | 10 | 122 |
| Colin Munro | 7 | 65 |
| Finn Allen | 7 | 66 |
| Brendon McCullum | 7 | 71 |
| Tim Seifert | 7 | 94 |
Phillips tied Guptill’s record with his eighth POTM award after scoring the game-winning century. Guptill won ten trophies in 122 T20Is, while Phillips reached this milestone in just 101. With seven POTM honours from 65 innings, Colin Munro is in second place.
After the match, Phillips said, “It was fabulous. Obviously it was a really good pitch to bat on out there today, and I think we made the most of it, which was fantastic. And yeah, obviously nice to get a few and contribute to the lads. [Partnership with Michael Bracewell] I think we really just talked about the fact that the wind from this end was probably the easier end to go from, but obviously the way Beast (Bracewell) hits, that does not really matter which end he goes from, and to be able to take that momentum, especially when it was sort of like a knife-edge part of the game, for us to take it effectively away from India like that was fantastic.”
He further added, “I think sometimes it is just ebbs and flows of the game. You see the ball well, and you see the ball badly at other times of the year, so I think it is just trying to make that purple patch last as long as possible and just try and make one nice decision as much as I can.”
New Zealand’s highest-ever T20I total of 259 for 7 was largely due to Phillips’ innings of 107 off 49 balls in the third T20I. New Zealand set the previous record of 254 for 5 against Scotland in Edinburgh on July 29, 2022. In the game, New Zealand defeated India by a decisive margin of 87 runs, giving them a crucial series moment.
