RAIPUR: In a display of sheer batting firepower, India stormed to a commanding 7-wicket victory over New Zealand in the second T20I at Raipur, taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the five-match series. Ishan Kishan and captain Suryakumar Yadav unleashed a devastating partnership to chase down a mammoth 209 with ease.
New Zealand, inserted to bat after losing the toss, started aggressively with Devon Conway and Tim Seifert smashing 43 runs in just 3.2 overs. Conway fell for 19 off 9 balls, while Seifert made 24 off 13. The Kiwis slipped to 43/2, but Rachin Ravindra and Glenn Phillips countered with a brisk 55-run stand off 27 balls, pushing the score to 98. Ravindra’s explosive 44 off 26, featuring four sixes and two fours, ended soon after, with Phillips departing for 19.
Captain Mitchell Santner then anchored the innings, remaining unbeaten on 47 off 27 balls with six fours and a six, helping New Zealand post 208/6. Kuldeep Yadav starred with 2 wickets for India, supported by Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy, and Shivam Dube with one each.
Chasing 209, India stumbled early, losing Sanju Samson (6) and Abhishek Sharma (0) at 6/2. But Kishan and Suryakumar scripted a masterful rescue act. Their 122-run third-wicket partnership off 48 balls turned the game on its head. Kishan blazed 76 off 32 balls, hammering 11 fours and 4 sixes before falling.
Suryakumar, unbeaten on 82 off 37 balls (9 fours, 4 sixes), then teamed up with Shivam Dube for an unbroken 81-run stand off 37 balls. Dube’s 36 not out off 18 included four boundaries. India reached 212/3 in 15.2 overs. Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy, and Ish Sodhi took a wicket each for New Zealand.
This clinical chase not only sealed the match but boosted India’s confidence ahead of the series decider. Suryakumar’s leadership and the middle-order blitz underscored India’s T20 dominance.