India pulled off a breathtaking chase in Raipur as Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav produced a masterclass in modern T20 batting to hunt down New Zealand’s 208 with seven wickets in hand and 28 balls to spare. After New Zealand posted 208 for 6, powered by a late surge from Mitchell Santner, India looked in trouble early when they slipped to 6 for 2 in the second over. What followed, however, was a stunning counterattack that turned the match on its head.
Kishan set the tone with a brutal assault on the New Zealand seamers, racing to a half-century in just 21 balls. He punished anything short or wide and dominated the powerplay, helping India reach 75 for 2 after six overs. His confidence against the spinners stood out too, as he launched both Santner and Ish Sodhi for sixes to keep the required rate under control. By the time he departed for a scintillating 76 off 32 balls, the chase was firmly in India’s grasp.
At the other end, Suryakumar Yadav grew into the innings after a quiet start. Once set, he unfurled his full range, hammering boundaries all around the ground and bringing up his first T20I fifty in 24 innings from just 23 balls. A few dropped chances went his way, but he made New Zealand pay, finishing unbeaten on 82 from 37 deliveries. Shivam Dube provided perfect support with a brisk 36 not out as India sealed a 2–0 series lead in emphatic fashion.
Earlier, New Zealand had flown out of the blocks thanks to Devon Conway and Tim Seifert, who smashed Arshdeep Singh for successive expensive overs. India struck back through Harshit Rana and Varun Chakravarthy during the powerplay, while Kuldeep Yadav and Dube triggered a middle-overs slowdown that stalled the visitors after they reached 111 for 3 at halfway. That quiet phase proved costly, even though Santner’s late flourish and a short cameo from Zak Foulkes lifted New Zealand past 200.
In the end, the total was no match for Kishan and Suryakumar’s brilliance, as India completed one of their most dominant high chases in T20Is.
