Suryakumar and Kishan smash fifties in high-scoring thriller
Raipur: It was a night of absolute carnage at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium as India chased down a massive target to defeat the Kiwis. In the India vs New Zealand 2nd T20I, the Men in Blue secured a dominant 7-wicket victory, taking a commanding 2-0 lead in the 5-match series.
New Zealand, put into bat first, looked dangerous from the start. Despite losing wickets at regular intervals, they managed to post a challenging total of 208/6. Rachin Ravindra played a solid knock of 44 off 26 balls, while captain Mitchell Santner provided a late flourish, remaining unbeaten on 47 off just 27 deliveries. For India, the bowling was a mixed bag, with Kuldeep Yadav picking up 2 wickets, while Hardik Pandya and Arshdeep Singh chipped in with one apiece.
Chasing 209, India’s start was disastrous. Both openers, Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma, were back in the pavilion within the first 1.1 overs with the score reading just 6/2. The Raipur crowd fell silent, fearing a collapse. However, what followed was a batting masterclass that changed the complexion of the game.
Ishan Kishan walked in and immediately launched a counter-attack. He smashed the Kiwi bowlers all around the park, scoring a blistering 76 off just 32 balls, including 11 boundaries and 4 sixes. He found the perfect partner in captain Suryakumar Yadav. The skipper played a captain’s knock, blasting an unbeaten 82 off 37 balls. Their partnership of 122 runs for the third wicket completely demoralized the New Zealand attack.
After Kishan fell, Shivam Dube joined the party with a quickfire 36 not out. India reached the target comfortably in just 15.2 overs, finishing at 209/3 with 28 balls to spare. This victory highlights the incredible depth and power in the Indian batting lineup, proving that no total is safe when Surya and Kishan are in form.
Image Source: BCCI
