AVC Men's Volleyball Cup: India beat New Zealand in campaign opener

Hosts India kicked off their 2026 AVC Men's Volleyball Cup campaign with a 3-0 win over New Zealand at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex in Ahmedabad on Saturday.

The Indian team led by Jerome Charles Vinith, eased past their opponents 25-23, 25-19, 25-14 in their Pool A preliminary phase match.

Chirag emerged as the best player in the contest for India, winning a total of 13 points – 10 on the attack, two on blocks, and a point on serve.

Outside hitter Joe also shined with ten points, while captain Jerome Vinith contributed nine points in India's win.

The first set saw New Zealand put up a commanding fight, putting India under pressure but as the hosts settled in, they ran away with the next two sets in 22 and 23 minutes respectively to close out the match in an hour and 19 minutes.

India, ranked 56 in the world, is next slated to face world No 74 Kazakhstan in their second Pool A match on Suday.