Guwahati erupted in joy as India crushed New Zealand by 8 wickets in the third T20I, clinching the series 3-0 with a clinical chase. Abhishek Sharma’s explosive 68 not out off 20 balls, laced with 5 sixes and 7 fours, and Suryakumar Yadav’s blistering 57 not out off 26 balls propelled India to victory in just 10 overs.
New Zealand, batting first after losing the toss at Barsapara Cricket Stadium, struggled to 153 for 9. They were reeling at 34 for 3 early on, but Glenn Phillips (48 off 40) and Mark Chapman (32) stitched a 52-run stand for the fourth wicket to steady the ship. Captain Mitchell Santner chipped in with 27, but it wasn’t enough against India’s sharp bowling.
Jasprit Bumrah starred with 3 for 17, while Hardik Pandya and Ravi Bishnoi claimed 2 wickets apiece. Harshit Rana grabbed one. In reply, India lost Sanju Samson for a duck on the first ball, but Ishan Kishan (28 off 13) and Abhishek Sharma raced to 53 in 19 balls for the second wicket.
Abhishek then unleashed carnage alongside skipper Suryakumar, adding an unbroken 102 off 40 balls for the third wicket. Matt Henry and Ish Sodhi took one wicket each for the Kiwis, but India romped home with 60 balls to spare. The final two dead rubbers are set for Visakhapatnam on January 28 and Thiruvananthapuram on January 31.