Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav smash fifties as India crush New Zealand to sweep T20I series by 3-0

Abhishek Sharma scored a stunning 50 off just 12 balls, while captain Suryakumar Yadav added another aggressive half-century as India completed the chase in only 10 overs, winning the third T20I by eight wickets and taking an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the five-match series on Sunday.

Chasing a small target of 154, India dominated the game with a display of pure strength. Abhishek Sharma finished with an unbeaten 68 from just 20 deliveries, while Suryakumar Yadav added a smooth 57 not out. Together, they put on an unfinished 102-run partnership in only 40 balls, ending the match with half of the overs still remaining.

Earlier, Ravi Bishnoi made a brilliant comeback. Working with veterans Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya, the bowling unit pressured the New Zealand batters and limited them to a low score of 153/9.

Abhishek was the star of the chase, reaching his half-century in just 14 balls. This is the second-quickest fifty ever for an Indian in T20s, trailing his teacher, Yuvraj Singh, by only two deliveries. He played without fear, completely breaking down the opposition’s bowling.

The Bowling Performance

Returning to the team after a long break, Bishnoi took 2/18, showing great control. India started strong, leaving New Zealand at 36/3 early on. Hardik Pandya began the collapse with a difficult running catch to remove Devon Conway and later dismissed Rachin Ravindra.

Bumrah was once again the best bowler, taking 3/17. He clean-bowled Tim Seifert with a fast, curving delivery. Bishnoi was equally effective, stopping Glenn Phillips from reaching a fifty by getting him out for 48.

While Mark Chapman tried to fight back with a quick 32, the partnership was broken by Bishnoi with a catch from the wicketkeeper. Kuldeep Yadav had a difficult day, giving up 19 runs in one over, but the rest of the bowlers kept things tight to ensure New Zealand never got back into the game.

The Chase Highlights

• Early Wicket: India faced a small problem at the start when Sanju Samson was out for zero on the very first ball he faced.
• Samson’s Slump: With scores of 10, 6 and 0 in this series, Samson’s place in the team is at risk, especially with Ishan Kishan playing so well.
• Recovery: Ishan Kishan and Abhishek quickly moved past the early loss. Ishan, coming off a great game in Raipur, hit Matt Henry for several boundaries.
• The Onslaught: After a poor score in the last game, Abhishek hit Jacob Duffy for 16 runs in one over. India reached 94/2 by the end of the powerplay, nearly their highest score ever for that period.
• Finishing Touches: After Ishan was out for a quick 28, Suryakumar took over. He used his famous “scoop” shots to find gaps in the field while Abhishek kept hitting sixes. The two toyed with the bowlers to finish the series victory.