IND vs NZ 3rd T20I: Abhishek Sharma's Fourth T20I Century Powers Record Chase as India Seal Series 3-0

Wellington, Oct 27: Young India batting star Abhishek Sharma's blitzkrieg with a 38-ball 113 and teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's 19-ball 45 helped India crush New Zealand by six wickets in the third T20I at Hnry Stadium in Wellington on Tuesday (October 27), taking an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series with two games remaining.

Chasing 199, India stormed to 199/4 in just 13.2 overs, completing the target with 40 balls to spare. It was the second biggest win in T20Is in terms of balls to spare in a run chase of 190 or more. At one stage it seemed like the Men in Blue will overhaul the target inside 12 overs.

Abhishek's explosive knock, complemented by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's 45 off 19 deliveries, turned what appeared to be a challenging chase into a one-sided contest.

Abhishek struck nine fours and 11 sixes at a staggering strike rate of 297.37, registering one of the most destructive innings in India's T20I history. He was named Player of the Match for his match-winning knock. It was also the third instance when the left-handed batter from Punjab smashed ten or more sixes in a T20I innings.

Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Decimate New Zealand

Set to chase 199, the Indian dou made its intentions clear from the outset, with Abhishek and Sooryavanshi taking the attack to New Zealand's bowlers during the powerplay. The pair added 118 runs inside the first six overs, making it the highest total in the powerplay in the history of the game.

The opening partnership saw India at 133 in just 7.1 overs, putting the visitors firmly in control of the chase.

Sooryavanshi played a brilliant supporting role to Abhishek, scoring 45 off 19 balls with four fours and four sixes. The aggressive approach from the 15-year-old who was promoted to open in this game ensured the required rate never became a concern, while Abhishek continued to find boundaries at will.

Sooryavanshi was dismissed by Matthew Fisher, but the breakthrough came too late to change the course of the match. Abhishek notched up his fifty off 15 balls, continued his assault, bringing up his century in just 35 balls before eventually falling for 113 off 38 deliveries, caught by Glenn Phillips off Kyle Jamieson.

With his knock, the youngster equalled former India skipper Suryakumar Yadav's record of four T20I centuries, and only trails behind Rohit Sharma and Glenn Maxwell - who have scored five tons in the shortest format for their countries. The 26-year-old's innings will be remembered for his assault and statement.

Sanju Samson contributed 18 off 13 balls, while captain Shreyas Iyer made five. Their dismissals briefly interrupted India's progress, but the target was already within reach. Tilak Varma and Naman Dhir completed the chase, with Dhir striking the winning boundary as India finished on 199/4 in 13.2 overs.

Daryl Mitchell's Unbeaten 89 Takes New Zealand to 198/3

Earlier, India won the toss and elected to bowl first, but New Zealand recovered from an early setback to post a formidable 198/3 in their allotted 20 overs.

Tim Seifert fell for two in the second over, caught by Axar Patel off Arshdeep Singh. Finn Allen then counter-attacked with 40 off 25 balls, hitting five sixes before being dismissed by Nitish Kumar Reddy.

Daryl Mitchell anchored the innings with an unbeaten 89 off 52 balls, striking five fours and five sixes. He found strong support from Glenn Phillips, who made 17 off 14 balls, and Bevon Jacobs, who remained unbeaten on 39 off 23 deliveries.

Mitchell and Jacobs added late momentum to New Zealand's innings, helping the hosts approach the 200-run mark. However, their total proved insufficient against India's extraordinary batting display.

For Team India, Arshdeep Singh, Axar Patel and Nitish Kumar Reddy claimed one wicket each, while the other bowlers struggled to contain the New Zealand batters.

India Seal Series With Two Matches Remaining

The victory extended India's lead to 3-0, sealing the five-match T20I series with two matches still to be played. India had won the first two matches by four wickets each, recovering from difficult positions in both contests before producing a dominant performance in Wellington.

The sheer aggression with which head coach Gautam Gambhir's side performed in this run chase will give them more confidence to put up even bigger spectacles in the days to come. With series already in the bank, Gambhir might even look to test the bench strength in the upcoming contests.