In a spectacular display of power-hitting, India secured an emphatic series victory against New Zealand, triumphing by eight wickets in the third Twenty20 international on Sunday. The match, held in Guwahati, witnessed one of the most dominant performances in T20 cricket history as India chased down New Zealand’s total of 153-9 with a staggering 10 overs to spare.
Young opener Abhishek Sharma delivered a career-defining performance, blasting an unbeaten 68 runs from just 20 deliveries. His explosive innings featured a remarkable half-century reached in only 14 balls, including four massive sixes that demoralized the New Zealand bowling attack. Sharma found perfect synergy with captain Suryakumar Yadav, who contributed 57 not out from 26 balls, as the pair orchestrated a devastating 102-run partnership in just 40 deliveries.
The victory was set up by India’s bowling unit, which saw the triumphant return of pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah. The premier fast bowler made an immediate impact with figures of 3-17 from his four overs, effectively restricting New Zealand to a below-par score despite Glenn Phillips’ battling 48 off 40 balls and Mark Chapman’s contribution of 32 runs.
With this comprehensive win, India established an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series, having previously claimed victory in Nagpur by 48 runs and in Raipur by seven wickets. The teams now look ahead to the fourth T20 encounter scheduled for Wednesday in Visakhapatnam, where India will aim to extend their dominance while New Zealand seeks to salvage pride in the concluding matches.