IND vs NZ: Abhishek Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav blaze a 10-over chase as India seals T20I series in Guwahati
India clinched an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match T20I series against New Zealand after restricting the visitors to 153/9 and then chasing it in just 10 overs. Abhishek Sharma’s 68* off 20 and Suryakumar Yadav’s 57* off 26 turned the match into a sprint and put India into the record books.
GUWAHATI: India sealed the T20 International series against New Zealand on Sunday night at Barsapara Cricket Stadium, and the margin of the win said as much as the result. After limiting the visitors to 153 for nine, India hunted down the target in just 10 overs, losing only two wickets, to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match contest.
The chase was driven by Abhishek Sharma and captain Suryakumar Yadav, who turned a routine pursuit into a demolition. Sharma smashed 68 not out from 20 balls, while Suryakumar finished 57 not out from 26, keeping the scoring rate so high that the game felt closer to a T10 than a full T20.
The innings began with immediate drama as Sanju Samson fell for a golden duck on the first ball, briefly bringing pressure back onto the hosts. But the response was ruthless: Sharma attacked from the outset, and once India’s middle order joined in, New Zealand’s bowlers had little room to reset fields or execute defensive plans.
Sharma’s knock carried personal milestones too. The report noted he recorded the second-fastest T20I fifty by an Indian, behind Yuvraj Singh’s 12-ball half-century. It also underlined the contrast in his series contributions—following a golden duck in the previous match with another explosive, match-defining hit.
Earlier, India’s bowlers set the platform by keeping New Zealand below-par on a surface that appeared good for batting. Tight execution, sharper fielding and clear match-ups ensured the visitors never fully broke free, making 153 a gettable total—and, as it turned out, one that disappeared rapidly once Sharma and Suryakumar found their timing.
With the series effectively wrapped up at 3-0, the result offers India both momentum and clarity on roles. For New Zealand, the remaining matches now become an exercise in damage control and experimentation, while India’s batting depth and powerplay approach look firmly locked in for the next phase of the calendar.