Ishan Kishan came out all guns blazing and almost sealed his place in the side for World Cup 2026. He took his time initially and then tore apart the Kiwi bowlers and notched up his maiden T20I ton. Abhishek Sharma gave the Indian team a great start scoring 30 while Suryakumar Yadav looked good for his 63 off 30 balls while Hardik Pandya made 42 off 17 balls as India finished with a massive 271/5 in 20 overs.
It was a hard day for the New Zealand bowlers with Lockie Ferguson bowling well and finished with 2/41 in 4 overs. The others went the distance despite picking a wicket here and there as India posted a massive 271 runs on the board as India have the advantage at the interval.
India lose both openers but get off to a solid start in powerplay.Â
Winning the toss and deciding to bat first, Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson came out to bat for India while Jacob Duffy had ball in hand for New Zealand. Abhishek was off the blocks straightaway as he went inside out over extra cover for the maximum. Abhishek was not done yet as he hit Duffy for consecutive boundaries first with a ramp over the keeper for a boundary and then lofted it over deep backward point for a boundary.
Kyle Jamieson took the ball from the other end. Samson got an outside edge that went away past the keeper for a boundary. Abhishek then crunched him over extra cover for a boundary. Then he flicked Jamieson over wide long-on for the maximum. Lockie Ferguson came into the attack next. He silenced the crowd as he removed Samson for another low score as he fell for 6 off 6 balls with one boundary to his name to Ferguson as Jacobs took the catch at third man region. Ishan Kishan came out to bat next.
Duffy continued as Abhishek smacked him over mid-off for a boundary. Ferguson continued as Kishan lofted the ball over extra cover for a boundary. Ishan then drove Ferguson hard over deep point for the maximum. Ferguson then knocked Abhishek over for 30 off 16 balls with 4 fours and 2 sixes to his name as the stumps were rattled. Captain Suryakumar Yadav came out to bat next.
Ish Sodhi came to bowl the final over of the powerplay. Surya drilled him past sweeper cover for a boundary. At the end of powerplay, India were 54/2 in 6 overs with Kishan on 13* off 10 balls and Surya on 5* off 4 balls.
Ishan Kishan & Suryakumar Yadav aces the middle phase and drives India to a dominant position before Surya falls after getting to his half-century.Â
Glenn Phillips came into the attack post the powerplay as Surya went bang with a slog sweep over deep midwicket for the maximum. Mitchell Santner came into the attack. He started with a miserly over. Sodhi changed ends as Ishan pumped him by slog sweeping it over deep midwicket for the maximum. Ishan completed 50 sixes across formats. Surya joined in the fun as he hung back and muscled it to deep midwicket for a boundary.
Santner continued as Surya thumped him downtown for the maximum. Ishan joined in the fun as he drove over extra cover for a boundary and then swept it over deep backward square leg for the maximum as the 100 came up in 9.5 overs and the 50-run stand as well between the duo. India were 102/2 in 10 overs at the halfway stage when we paused for Drinks. Jamieson returned after the break as Surya was put down at deep backward square leg by Ferguson. Ishan then smashed Jamieson over fine leg for the maximum.
Sodhi returned to the attack as Ishan got onto the front foot and launched it over extra covers for a boundary as he got to his fifty in 28 balls. Ishan continued the assault by hitting two more boundaries back-to-back to deep backward square leg and then the bottom edge through the keeper’s legs to the third man fence as Ishan completed 100 fours in T20Is. Ishan went big again as he launched it over deep midwicket for the maximum.
Kishan again went after Sodhi by slapping it over Ravindra at backward point for a boundary and then launched another maximum over deep midwicket as 29 runs came off this over. Ferguson continued as Kishan slapped the half-volley over long-off for the maximum. Ferguson overstepped and the free hit went for a boundary by Surya as the captain got a thick outside edge that flew between the keeper and short third man for a boundary.
Jacob Duffy returned to the attack as Surya launched the ball over mid-on for a boundary. Surya then went big over long-on for the maximum and cleared long-on again for the maximum. Surya reached his fifty in 26 balls. Surya then played the supla shot by swivelling across and clearing deep backward square leg for a maximum. Santner came back into the attack as Surya danced down the track and launched it straight over the umpire’s head for the maximum.
Santner finally got a wicket as he stumped Surya for 63 off 30 balls with 4 fours and 6 sixes to his name as the keeper did well to stump him well. Hardik Pandya came out to bat next and got off the mark as well. India were 188/3 in 15 overs with Ishan on 84* off 37 balls with Hardik unbeaten on 2 off 2 balls.
Ishan Kishan completes maiden T20I ton while Hardik Pandya’s finishing cameo powers India to 271/5 in 20 overs.Â
Kyle Jamieson continued as Ishan hit a one-handed shot over deep square leg where the ball goes through Phillips for the maximum. The 200 came up for India in 15.4 overs. Santner continued as Hardik rocked back and whacked it over deep extra covers for the maximum. Hardik then lunged forward and flat batted it over mid-on for a boundary. Ishan then targeted cow corner for the maximum over deep midwicket and then slog swept again over deep midwicket for the maximum to complete his maiden T20I hundred in 42 balls.
Duffy returned to the attack as Hardik cleared his front leg and muscled it down the ground over long-on for the maximum. Duffy finally removed the centurion Kishan for 103 off 43 balls with 6 fours and 10 sixes to his name as Phillips took the catch in the deep. Rinku Singh came out to bat next and got off the mark as well. Lockie Ferguson came to bowl the 19th over as Rinku cleared mid-off for a boundary. Hardik then smashed Ferguson by clearing his front leg and pulled it over deep midwicket for the maximum. The 250 came up for India in 19 overs.
Kyle Jamieson came to bowl the final over of the innings. Jamieson started off by conceding 5 wides to the batting side. Hardik then smothered into the leg side and cleared deep midwicket for the maximum. Jamieson hit back and got rid of Pandya for a breezy 42 off 17 balls with 1 four and 4 sixes to his name as he mistimed the ball to deep midwicket where the catch was taken. Shivam Dube came out to bat next and got off the mark as well.
Jamieson bowled wides and a no ball as well. The last ball of the innings was a free hit and Dube obliged by smothering it down the ground to clear long-on for the maximum as India finished with a massive score of 271/5 in 20 overs. Rinku was unbeaten on 8 off 8 balls with a boundary to his name while Shivam Dube was unbeaten on 7 off 2 balls with a maximum to his name. 12 extras given by the fielding side.
It was tough to be a bowler on this ground and pitch. Lockie Ferguson was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 2/41 in 4 overs. Jacob Duffy finished with 1/53 in 4 overs. Kyle Jamieson finished with 1/59 in 4 overs. Mitchell Santner finished with 1/60 in 4 overs. Ish Sodhi went for 48 runs in 3 overs while Glenn Phillips bowled an over for 10 runs. This means New Zealand’s target to win this game was 272 runs off 20 overs.
Who’s Winning, India or New Zealand?Â
India have posted a massive score on the board thanks to Ishan Kishan special and ably complimented by others from the other end like Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya and Abhishek Sharma as India ended with 271/5 in 20 overs. The pitch is flat and the ground is small and so New Zealand will make a match out of this for sure. But at the interval, 271 on any pitch is a lot of runs and India will feel they can defend this score.
Let’s see how the chase pans out as New Zealand will fight tooth and nail till the end. The chase will be exciting as well.
Also Read:Â IND vs NZ: New Zealand Roars Back With An Emphatic Consolation Win