India beat New Zealand by 6 wickets (with 40 balls remaining) – 3rd T20I Report
India won by 6 wickets (with 40 balls remaining) in the 172nd match of 188 in the T20 Internationals series at Sky Stadium, Wellington. Abhishek Sharma produced a match-winning masterclass, smashing 113 off just 38 balls at a strike rate of 297 to chase down New Zealand’s 198 with devastating ease. The win extends India’s dominance in the series and keeps them firmly on course.
New Zealand’s Innings – Mitchell Anchors 198
India won the toss and elected to bowl, but New Zealand made them work for it. Tim Seifert fell early for 2 at 4/1 in the opening over, but Finn Allen launched an immediate counter-attack, striking 40 off 25 balls (5 sixes) before falling at 90/2 in the 8th over.
Daryl Mitchell took centre stage with a commanding 89 off 52 balls (5 fours, 5 sixes) at a strike rate of 171, anchoring the innings through the middle overs. Glenn Phillips contributed 17 off 14 before departing at 123/3 in the 11th over, while Bevon Jacobs finished unbeaten on 39 off 23 (4 fours, 1 six) to propel New Zealand to 198/3.
Arshdeep Singh was India’s standout bowler, taking 1/33 from 4 overs at an economy of 8.25. Axar Patel and Nitish Kumar Reddy each claimed a wicket, but New Zealand’s batting firepower proved too much to contain.
India’s Chase – Sharma’s Blitz Seals Victory
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi ignited the chase with a blistering 45 off 19 balls (4 fours, 4 sixes) at a strike rate of 237, putting India firmly in the ascendancy at 133/1 in the 7th over. But the real fireworks came from Abhishek Sharma, who took over from there with a breathtaking 113 off 38 balls (9 fours, 11 sixes) at a strike rate of 297 – one of the most explosive T20I innings in recent memory.
Sharma’s onslaught left New Zealand’s bowlers helpless. Sanju Samson fell for 18 at 195/3 in the 13th over, and Shreyas Iyer managed just 5 off 10 at 193/4 in the 12th, but by then the match was already decided. India reached 199/4 in just 13.2 overs, winning with 40 balls to spare.
Kyle Jamieson was New Zealand’s most economical bowler, taking 2/45 from 3.2 overs, but even his efforts could not slow Sharma’s rampage. Mitchell Santner took 1/17 from 3 overs, but the damage was already done by the time he came into the attack.
Statz MVP: Abhishek Sharma (Statz Rating: 159.7)
Abhishek Sharma earns the Statz MVP award with a Statz Rating of 159.7. His 113 off 38 balls was the centrepiece of India’s chase, combining explosive strokeplay with perfect match awareness. Sharma’s strike rate of 297 and his 11 sixes were the defining features of a performance that turned a competitive contest into a one-sided victory. No official Man of the Match was awarded.
Top 5 Statz Ratings
- Abhishek Sharma (IND) – Statz Rating: 159.7 – 113 off 38 (SR 297, 9 fours, 11 sixes). Explosive match-winning innings that dismantled New Zealand’s bowling.
- Daryl Mitchell (NZ) – Statz Rating: 93.96 – 89 off 52 (SR 171, 5 fours, 5 sixes). Anchor innings that gave New Zealand a fighting total.
- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (IND) – Statz Rating: 117 – 45 off 19 (SR 237, 4 fours, 4 sixes). Explosive start that set the tone for India’s chase.
- Mitchell Santner (NZ) – Statz Rating: 60.68 – 1/17 from 3 overs. Miserly spell in a losing effort.
- Bevon Jacobs (NZ) – Statz Rating: 53.76 – 39 off 23 (4 fours, 1 six). Valuable late-order contribution to New Zealand’s total.
Turning Point
The match turned decisively when Abhishek Sharma took over from Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the 7th over with India already at 133/1. From that point, New Zealand had no answer to Sharma’s assault. His 113 off 38 balls transformed a chase that could have gone either way into a procession, and by the time Sanju Samson fell for 18 in the 13th over, India had already secured victory with 40 balls unused.
Match Context
This was the 172nd match of 188 in the T20 Internationals series. India (ranked 2nd with a rating of 267) extend their dominance with a commanding victory, while New Zealand (ranked 4th with a rating of 247) will rue a batting performance that, despite Mitchell’s excellence, proved insufficient. Check the head-to-head record and explore bet builder options on Statz for deeper analysis.
