IND vs NZ 3rd T20I Match Report: A brutal batting display from Abhishek Sharma (68 not out off 20 balls), skipper Suryakumar Yadav (57* off 26 balls) powered India to chase down 154 in just 10 overs against New Zealand in the third T20I at Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati. Despite losing opener Sanju Samson for a golden duck off the first ball from Matt Henry, the Men in Blue cruised to an emphatic win, taking an unassailable 3–0 lead in the five-match series. (MATCH HIGHLIGHTS: IND vs NZ 3rd T20I)
However, the wicket celebration was cut off instantly as left-handed batter Ishan Kishan, who came next, hammered two sixes and a boundary to end Henry’s over. In the next over, the duo of Kishan and Abhishek Sharma combined to smash 16 runs against Jacob Duffy as India reached 32/1.
In the third over, Kyle Jamieson conceded 17 runs as India were off to a blistering start, making 49/1.India also reached their quickest team fifty in just 3.1 overs, surpassing their previous record of 3.4 overs vs Bangladesh in Hangzhou in 2023.
During the second ball of the fourth over, leg-spinner Ish Sodhi dismissed dangerous Kishan for 28 off 13 balls, with three fours and two sixes.
Abhishek Sharma completed his half-century in just 14 deliveries, which is also the second-fastest for India after former all-rounder Yuvraj Singh, who smashed a 12-ball fifty against England during the ICC T20 World Cup 2007. Abhishek’s 14-ball fifty was also the joint-third fastest among full member nations in T20I cricket
After the end of the sixth over, India slammed 94/2. This was also the highest powerplay total against New Zealand, surpassing Australia’s 91/0 in Auckland in 2018.
India also registered their second-fastest powerplay score after 95/1 vs England in Mumbai last year. After the end of the ninth over, India reached 139/2.
Captain Suryakumar Yadav hammered his 25th half-century in just 25 deliveries during the fifth ball of the 10th over. Team India chased down the 154-run target in just 10 overs and took an unbeaten 3-0 lead in the five-match series.
Surya remained unbeaten on 57 off 26 deliveries, with six fours and three sixes. Opener Abhishek Sharma hammered 68* off 20 balls, with seven boundaries and five towering sixes, in India’s one-sided victory.
After opting to field first, Indian bowlers Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and Ravi Bishnoi restricted New Zealand to 153/9 in 20 overs. The trio of Bumrah, Pandya and Bishnoi shared seven wickets among them, with Bumrah scalping three.
Harshit Rana gave New Zealand an early blow after he removed Devon Conway for just 1 in the first over of the innings. In the following star all-rounder Hardik Pandya removed Rachin Ravindra for four, pushing the visitors on the back foot.