Kishan-Suryakumar's carnage turns 209-run chase into cakewalk as India bully NZ by 7 wickets in 2nd T20I

Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan's explosive fifties fueled India's crushing seven-wicket win over New Zealand in the second T20I at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium on January 23. With this win, the Men in Blue have taken a 2-0 lead in the five-match series, building on their 48-run victory in the opening game.

India bully New Zealand by 7 wickets in the 2nd T20I

The chase for a daunting 209-run target began disastrously for the hosts, as they lost two key wickets within the first two overs. Sanju Samson was dismissed by Matt Henry for just six runs, followed immediately by Abhishek Sharma, who fell for a golden duck to Jacob Duffy. The early wickets left India reeling at 8/2, putting immense pressure on the middle order.

However, Kishan and Suryakumar  responded with a relentless counter-attack that shifted the momentum back to India. By the fifth over, the duo had already guided the team to 54 runs. Kishan was particularly aggressive, reaching a blistering half-century in just 21 balls during the sixth over. Their partnership allowed India to finish the powerplay at 75/2, marking the team's second-highest powerplay total ever against New Zealand in T20I history.

Suryakumar Yadav-Ishan Kishan run riot with the bat

The record-breaking 122-run partnership between Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar finally came to an end in the 10th over when leg-spinner Ish Sodhi dismissed Kishan. The left-hander’s explosive innings of 76 runs from just 32 balls, featuring 11 boundaries and four sixes, had already placed India in a dominant position at 133/3 halfway through the chase. Shortly after, Suryakumar reached his own milestone, bringing up his 22nd T20I half-century in 23 balls—his first since October 2024—to keep the momentum firmly with the hosts.

India reached the massive target with remarkable ease, completing the chase in just 15.2 overs. Suryakumar finished the game unbeaten on 82 from 37 deliveries, a masterclass that included nine fours and four sixes. He was joined in the final stretch by Shivam Dube, who contributed an aggressive, unbeaten 36 off 18 balls. Together, they ensured a comfortable seven-wicket victory, leaving the New Zealand bowlers with few answers in the high-scoring encounter.

Earlier in the evening, New Zealand had set a formidable total of 208/6, led by resilient performances from captain Mitchell Santner and Rachin Ravindra. The visitors' innings began with an unwanted record for India, as Arshdeep Singh conceded 18 runs in the opening over. This tied the record for the most expensive first over ever bowled by an Indian in a T20I, matching Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s 2022 performance against Ireland. Despite the expensive start, India’s batters eventually rendered the challenging target insufficient.

New Zealand’s innings began with explosive momentum, racing to 43 without loss in just three overs. However, the introduction of Harshit Rana provided India with a crucial breakthrough at the start of the fourth over. Rana dismissed the dangerous Devon Conway for 19, effectively ending a threatening opening stand. The visitors' rhythm was disrupted further in the following over when Varun Chakaravarthy removed Tim Seifert for 24, thanks to a spectacular catch by Ishan Kishan at mid-wicket.

As the innings entered its final stages, Hardik Pandya joined the wicket-takers by dismissing Mark Chapman for 10 in the 17th over. India’s bowling effort was well-distributed, with Pandya, Rana, Chakaravarthy, and Dube all claiming one wicket each, while Kuldeep Yadav finished as the pick of the bowlers with figures of 2/35.

New Zealand managed a strong finish despite the regular fall of wickets, thanks to a captain’s knock from Mitchell Santner. His unbeaten 47 off 27 balls, combined with a quickfire 15 from Zakary Foulkes, pushed the total to a competitive 208/6. But little did they know that India would make the light work of this massive target and wrap up the chase in just 15.2 overs.