New Zealand batsman Glenn Phillips said that his time playing for Gujarat Titans in the 2026 IPL helped him improve his game despite not playing much. The 29-year-old continued his blistering form against India by hitting a winning century in the fourth T20I in Auckland as New Zealand won by 87 runs to avoid a whitewash.

Phillips hit 107 runs to take New Zealand to a commanding score as he reached 276 runs in four games. He currently tops the run charts in the series, averaging 92, including a century and two fifties. Phillips feels the IPL time helped improve his game recently.

Glenn Phillips Explains How Gujarat Titans Helped Him Improve His Game

Glenn Phillips only played in six games for Gujarat Titans in the 2026 edition of the IPL. He scored just 67 runs at a healthy average. However, he insisted that playing only a few times didn't affect his experience.

“I think the overseas spots in the IPL are pretty tight. You have got 8 overseas players in your squad but only 4 spots in the eleven so it's pretty tough. Unless you go out there and light the world on fire there will be someone else waiting in the wings,” Phillips stated.

Phillips praised the facilities, coaching and training opportunities at Gujarat Titans, which helped him improve his batting.

“I was very lucky at Gujarat. They've got some unbelievable facilities, some incredible coaches and lots of time to work on my batting. I was able to show that in England too. I was able to have some volume (of runs) under my belt. Whether it be red or white ball.

“Yes you'd love to score some runs in the IPL and earn some cash, but there are a lot of learnings that you can take away from playing there. Whether you play or not, you are able to get the most out of it.

I think that is what every player who goes to the IPL or any tournament should do,” Phillips added.

Phillips' heroics against India were no accident as he had been in fine form in the Crowe-Thorpe Trophy against England earlier in the year.

He scored 181 runs in four innings at an average of 60, including a century as New Zealand won the series 2-1. It was a huge blow for England and their fearless strategy under Brendon McCullum as they ended the Bazball era.

Glenn Phillips Opens Up On Missing Out On India's Chase

After scoring a century in Auckland, Phillips wasn't able to take the field for India's chase due to cramps.

However, he played down the concerns, stating that he was just taking precautions.

“I think it was just a bit of stiffness early on in the innings. I felt a lot better as we got through the game. I was just being cautious really, I didn't want to risk getting injured too early in the season,” Phillips stated.

Phillips also praised the batting and stated how much he enjoyed seeing Michael Bracewell hit the accelerator in the end to help the hosts put on a huge score.

“I loved seeing (Michael) Bracewell go nuts at the other end.

Obviously it's crazy things happening at Eden Park all the time, but it was a brilliant pitch. We obviously needed a tonne of runs to stand any chance of beating India.

“We got that score on the board today which gives us confidence going forward that we can score that big of a score. It was our first time hitting that high 250s,” Phillips added.