Team India redefined modern T20 batting as they chased a target of 209 runs against New Zealand in the second T20 International match in Raipur. Despite losing 2 wickets for just 6 runs, India turned the match into a one-sided affair, clinching victory with 28 balls to spare.
The heroes of this magnificent victory were Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav. Kishan played an explosive innings of 76 runs off 32 balls under challenging conditions, while captain Suryakumar Yadav smashed an unbeaten 82 off 37 balls. Kishan smashed 4 sixes and 11 boundaries, while Surya added 9 boundaries and 4 sixes.
Read more: Ishan recounts his dream comeback after the Raipur T20 fireworks.
After the match, Suryakumar Yadav heaped praises on Kishan, jokingly saying, “I don’t know what Ishan ate for lunch or what pre-workout he took, but I've never seen someone bat like this.”
Surya especially lauded Kishan's powerplay performance, saying that recovering from 6/2 to reach 70-75 in the powerplay was unbelievable. “This is what we want from our batters, to express themselves freely,” he added.
Read more: Team India crushes the Kiwis with a 7-wicket victory in Raipur T20, thanks to Surya and Ishan.
Ishan and Surya formed a 122-run partnership in just 49 balls for the third wicket. By the ninth over, they completed a century partnership, with SKY having contributed only 19 runs.
Read more: Captain Surya's blitzkrieg, Ishan Kishan thrashes the Kiwi bowlers as Team India breaks multiple records in Raipur T20.
Laughing about his strategy, Suryakumar remarked, “I was a bit annoyed about not getting enough strikes during the powerplay, but I knew my time would come.”
This half-century was Suryakumar Yadav's first in 23 T20I innings. He acknowledged that while runs were hard to come by, he was feeling good in form. A break after the South Africa series, time with family, and good practice were beneficial.
With this victory, India has won 26 out of 31 T20I matches since the T20 World Cup 2024 final. Leading the series 2-0, India has sent a strong message to its opponents ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup.
