In a thrilling display of aggressive batting, Ishan Kishan rewrote the record books during India’s T20I showdown against New Zealand at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur. Batting at number three, Kishan unleashed a blistering 76 runs off just 32 balls, peppering the boundary with 11 fours and 4 massive sixes.
Kishan’s fireworks were most evident in the powerplay overs, where he faced 23 deliveries to rack up 56 runs. This explosive start made him the first Indian non-opener to cross the 50-run mark in the powerplay phase of a T20I, etching his name in cricket history. Coming in when India were reeling at 6/2, Kishan’s onslaught propelled the hosts to a mammoth 75/2 by the end of the six overs – the second-highest powerplay total against New Zealand, surpassed only by the 76/1 from the 2007 T20 World Cup in Johannesburg.
Making a strong comeback after a modest 8 in the series opener in Nagpur, Kishan’s form couldn’t be timelier with the T20 World Cup on the horizon. His ability to dominate from the middle order signals a major boost for Team India’s campaign.
Earlier, New Zealand set a challenging 209/6 after being put in to bat. Captain Mitchell Santner remained unbeaten on 47 off 27 balls (6 fours, 1 six), while Rachin Ravindra contributed a quickfire 44 off 26 (4 sixes, 2 fours). India’s bowlers struck back with Kuldeep Yadav claiming 2 wickets, supported by Hardik Pandya, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy, and Shivam Dube picking one each.
Fresh off a 1-2 ODI series loss to the Kiwis, India bounced back emphatically in the first T20I with a 48-run win. Now leading 1-0 in the five-match series, Rohit Sharma’s men aim to double the advantage and build momentum ahead of the global showpiece.