Raipur: Indian team skipper Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan’s half-centuries helped India win by 7 wickets in the second T20I of the 5-match T20I series against New Zealand.
The comprehensive victory marked India’s second win to take a 2-0 lead in the series, with the third T20I scheduled to be played in Guwahati on Sunday.
Chasing 209 to win, India added 122 for the third wicket with Kishan (76) and Suryakumar unbeaten on 82.
India go into the third match with an eye on a warm-up series ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 starting on February 7 in India and Sri Lanka.
Left-hander Kishan, who returned to the Indian team in the opener after two years, lifted the hosts at 6/2 with a flurry of fours.
All hail Kishan as the man of the match and Suryakumar as the comeback star.
“I don’t know what Ishan had for lunch in the afternoon or what practice he took before the game, but I’ve never seen anyone bat at 2 for 6 and still finish the powerplay with 67 or 70,” Suryakumar said.
“I thought it was unbelievable. Chasing 200 or 210, that’s what we want from batters — to go out, express themselves, be happy in their own space. That’s what he did today.”
He reached his half-century with a boundary off 21 balls and continued in charge until the departure of leg-spinner Ish Sodhi. Kishan hit 11 fours and 4 sixes off his 32 balls.
Suryakumar reached his first half-century in 468 days and 23 innings, after which he raised his bat and looked skyward amid applause.
His previous half-century was against Bangladesh on October 12, 2024.
Suryakumar, who hit 9 fours and 4 sixes off 37 balls, and Shivam Dube, the left-armer who scored 36 runs, smashed the opposition with an unbeaten 81 runs.
Matt Henry and Jacob Duffy took a wicket each in the first two overs before Jack Foulkes conceded 24 in the third over, which started with a no-ball four and three wides.
Earlier, New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner made 208/6 with an unbeaten 47 off 27 balls.
New Zealand got off to a strong start as openers Devon Conway and Tim Seifert made a quick 43 for the opposition.
Medium fast bowler Harshit Rana dismissed the left-arm Conway for the fourth time. Conway scored 19 off nine balls.
Wicketkeeper-batter Seifert, who scored 24, was soon followed by his opening partner back to the pavilion as he fell to the spin of Varun Chakraborty.
Glenn Phillips continued the attack with his short spell of 19 and after his departure, left-armer Ravindran took the lead with a 26-ball 44.
India struck the usual blows, including two to left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav, but the New Zealand batsmen kept up the pace, with Foulkes finishing with a six and a four, but the effort was not enough to challenge India.
“When you come up against a side that bats deep on a good wicket, the way India came out — with a ball of intent,” Santner said.
“I think they have every bit of license to knock. For us, it’s about trying to squeeze in as much as we can. But on the other hand, we know that 200 or 210 isn’t enough anymore and we know we have to go a bit harder.”