Anshul Kamboj was a fair choice for the award, though only narrowly. His 2 for 22 carried an economy of 2.20 and two maidens, the best control among India’s full-quota bowlers. On 4 November 2026 at Eden Park, New Zealand were dismissed for 185, with four wickets for Arshdeep Singh and three for Gurnoor Brar. Yet Arshdeep’s 70 runs weaken his claim, and the ranking below weighs economy, wickets and the cost of every wicket in the match.
India’s Attack Bundles Out the Hosts
Winning the toss, India chose to bowl. Arshdeep dismissed Will Young and Henry Nicholls, which left the hosts at 40/2, and then Gurnoor Brar accounted for Tim Seifert, who made 38, and Tom Latham. A run-out of Daryl Mitchell by Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul made it 97/5.
Kamboj bowled the captain Mitchell Santner and watched Virat Kohli catch Nathan Smith, so 113/6 became 115/7 in a flash. Kyle Jamieson and Glenn Phillips fell to Arshdeep next, and Brar closed the innings by removing Blair Tickner, who had struck 34 from 23 balls. Rain left the 40.2 overs of the New Zealand innings alone and struck the chase instead: play halted on 54/1 with 10.5 overs gone, India’s target became 167 off 40 overs and was eventually cut to 143 off 32. A five-wicket win on DLS followed, with India finishing on 143/5 inside 22.4 overs and Kohli scoring 74 from 51.
Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
Arshdeep Singh | 10 | 0 | 70 | 4 | 7.00 |
Auqib Nabi | 6 | 0 | 33 | 0 | 5.50 |
Anshul Kamboj | 10 | 2 | 22 | 2 | 2.20 |
Gurnoor Brar | 9.2 | 0 | 44 | 3 | 4.71 |
Axar Patel | 5 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 2.40 |
Kamboj’s Two Maidens and Impact
Kamboj took the ball when the first change was needed, in the eighth over, and opened with a maiden. Of his 60 deliveries, 46 were dots, and his two maidens were the only ones India bowled all day. Ten overs for 22 runs is the cheapest ten-over spell from an Indian seamer since Javagal Srinath conceded 13 and took three wickets back in 2003.
The context makes it sharper, because this was just his second ODI. A month earlier, in his debut against West Indies, he had gone for 82 runs without a wicket. Few bowlers swing from that to a Player of the Match award so quickly.
NZ vs IND 2026 1st ODI Bowlers Ranked
Ranked by economy, wickets and cost per wicket, Kamboj comes first, with two for 22, an economy of 2.20 and a price of 11.00 per wicket. Arshdeep is next, with four for 70 and a wicket every 15 balls, although 56 of the runs against him came in boundaries. Brar follows with three for 44, which works out at 14.67 per wicket, and he delivered 37 dot balls.
Axar Patel gave away only 12 from five overs without a wicket, an economy of 2.40, while Auqib Nabi’s six overs cost 33 for an economy of 5.50. Neither took a wicket, so both sit lower down the order.
Arshdeep’s Four Against Brar’s Three
Two of Arshdeep’s wickets came in the powerplay and two after the 30th over. Only two Indian pacers had previously taken four in a New Zealand ODI, so he becomes the third. His career now stands at 19 ODIs, 34 wickets and an average of 24.26, but this outing cost 70 runs, more than any other Indian bowler conceded.
Brar’s three wickets cost 14.67 each, and the batters he removed, Seifert and Latham, were the ones building New Zealand’s innings. Over 10 ODIs, he has 17 wickets at 36.76, with 3 for 27 as his best. The four wickets from Arshdeep and three from Brar are hard to dismiss, yet neither set of figures matched Kamboj’s control.
Settling the Player of the Match Debate
Kamboj was a sound selection, though the margin was slim. Among bowlers who used their full ten overs, nobody was cheaper, and nobody paid less per wicket: 11.00, compared with Brar’s 14.67 and Arshdeep’s 17.50.
Arshdeep stays close with his four wickets, yet the 70 runs he conceded hurt his argument. Weighing the NZ vs IND 2026 1st ODI bowlers one by one, Kamboj’s control gave India a platform before the rain arrived.
Would you have given the award to Arshdeep for his four wickets? Tell us in the comments.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Which bowler took the match award at Eden Park?
Anshul Kamboj won the award for his 2 for 22. Those figures came from ten overs that included two maidens and an economy of just 2.20 runs an over.
How many batters did Arshdeep Singh dismiss at Eden Park?
Arshdeep dismissed four batters for 70 runs. His victims were Young, Nicholls, Jamieson and Phillips, and he bowled his full quota of ten overs without a maiden.
What was the result between New Zealand and India in Auckland?
India won by five wickets on DLS. They finished on 143/5 after 22.4 overs once rain interrupted the chase, and they now hold a one-nil series lead.
Who captains India in the New Zealand ODIs?
Shubman Gill leads India in the first three ODIs. Shreyas Iyer takes over as captain for the last two matches of the series, which makes it a split captaincy.
When does the second New Zealand and India ODI start?
It is set for Sky Stadium in Wellington on Saturday 7 November. The match starts at 3:00 pm local time, which is 8:00 am Bangladesh time for readers back home.
Disclaimer: This blog post reflects the author’s personal insights and analysis. Readers are encouraged to consider the perspectives shared and draw their own conclusions.