India bounced back in spectacular fashion to secure a 4-1 series victory against New Zealand, following a dominant 46-run win in the fifth T20I at Thiruvananthapuram on January 31.
India thrash NZ by 46 runs to cap off T20I series 4-1
After a narrow defeat in the fourth match at Visakhapatnam, Suryakumar Yadav’s side reclaimed their momentum with both bat and ball, ultimately overwhelming the visitors. The victory was anchored by a historic maiden T20I century from Ishan Kishan, who smashed 103 runs off just 43 deliveries. His explosive innings helped propel India to a massive total of 271/5, one of the highest in T20I history.
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New Zealand's brave chase goes in vain
New Zealand displayed flashes of bravery in their pursuit of the massive target, but were ultimately bundled out for 225. The bowling honors went to Arshdeep Singh, who orchestrated a stunning turnaround to finish with a five-wicket haul (5/51). His performance was a tale of two spells: after being pummeled for 40 runs in his opening two overs, he returned with clinical precision to take his next four wickets for just 11 runs across three overs.
The visitors' fight was led by Finn Allen, who arrived at Greenfield Stadium carrying the momentum of being the top-scorer in the recently concluded Big Bash League. The right-hander was particularly aggressive against Arshdeep early on, looting 23 runs in a single over with a sequence of 4, 4, 6, 4, 4. Allen reached his sixth T20I half-century in just 22 balls, anchoring a rapid 100-run partnership for the second wicket with Rachin Ravindra.
However, the momentum shifted once the Powerplay ended and the spinners were introduced. Axar Patel provided the crucial breakthrough by dismissing Allen for a fiery 80 off 38 balls, finishing with impressive figures of 3/33. Alongside Varun Chakravarthy, Axar effectively throttled the scoring rate, causing the New Zealand chase to falter as wickets began to tumble at regular intervals. Despite the early fireworks, the target of 272 proved to be well beyond the Black Caps' reach.
Ishan Kishan lights up Trivandrum with spellbinding century
On a sultry evening in Thiruvananthapuram, a capacity crowd was treated to a masterclass by Ishan Kishan, who revitalized the innings following a shaky start. The Powerplay began quietly for India, as opener Sanju Samson’s lackluster series continued with a dismissal for just 6 runs at the hands of Lockie Ferguson. This fifth consecutive failure has cast a significant shadow over Samson’s World Cup prospects, especially as Kishan later took over the wicketkeeping duties—a clear hint at the team management’s evolving strategy for the upcoming ICC tournament.
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While Abhishek Sharma provided a brief spark with a brisk 30, he too fell victim to Ferguson’s pace, leaving India at a modest 54 for two. However, those proved to be the final moments of celebration for the New Zealand bowlers. Once Kishan and skipper Suryakumar Yadav united, they completely dismantled the attack, forging a relentless 137-run partnership for the third wicket in just over ten overs.
Returning from a minor injury that sidelined him in the previous match, Kishan showed zero signs of rust. He ignited his innings by punishing Ferguson for a boundary and a six over extra cover, never looking back. He reached his half-century in 28 balls, while Suryakumar provided high-octane support, crossing the 3,000-run milestone in T20Is with a signature six off Jacob Duffy.
Kishan’s assault reached a fever pitch in the 12th over, where he plundered 29 runs off Ish Sodhi with a devastating sequence of four boundaries and two sixes. Even after Suryakumar was stumped while charging Mitchell Santner, Kishan remained undeterred. He accelerated with frightening speed, reaching his century in just 42 balls—his second fifty taking a mere 14 deliveries. The milestone was met with a jubilant celebration and a warm embrace from Hardik Pandya.
The sheer scale of the carnage was evident in the final stats, as India ransacked 189 runs off the last 11 overs at a staggering rate of 17.18 per over. Following Kishan’s departure for 103, Pandya provided the final flourish with a rapid 42 off 17 balls. Their combined efforts propelled India to a massive total.
India will now head into T20 World Cup 2026 with their first match scheduled on February 7 against USA.