India seal T20 series in Guwahati as Abhishek Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav power 10-over chase

After restricting New Zealand to 153, India stormed to a dominant eight-wicket win in Guwahati, clinching the five-match T20 series with two games to spare.

India produced a commanding all-round performance in the Guwahati T20, defeating New Zealand by eight wickets and sealing the five-match series with two games still remaining.

After losing the toss, New Zealand were asked to bat first and suffered an immediate setback. They lost their first wicket in the opening over, and the pressure mounted in the second over when Hardik Pandya dismissed Rachin Ravindra. Things worsened quickly as Jasprit Bumrah clean bowled Tim Seifert with his very first delivery, leaving the visitors in trouble early.

New Zealand found some stability through a fourth-wicket partnership between Glenn Phillips and Mark Chapman. The duo added 52 runs off 41 balls, helping the innings recover. However, leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi broke the stand, dismissing Chapman for 32 runs. In-form batter Daryl Mitchell failed to make an impact, scoring just 14 runs with one boundary and one six before getting caught at deep point.

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Phillips looked set for a half-century but fell short, scoring 48 runs off 40 balls, including six fours and one six. The lower-order offered no resistance as Kyle Jamieson and Matt Henry were dismissed cheaply. Skipper Mitchell Santner added late momentum, scoring 27 off 17 balls, before getting out. New Zealand eventually finished at 153 for 9 in 20 overs. For India, Bumrah picked up three wickets, while Hardik Pandya and Ravi Bishnoi claimed two wickets each.

Chasing 154, India suffered a shock on the very first ball as Sanju Samson was bowled for a duck. However, Ishan Kishan counter-attacked aggressively, smashing three fours and two sixes. Kishan and Abhishek Sharma added a rapid half-century stand for the second wicket, scoring 53 runs in just 20 balls.

Kishan was dismissed for 28 off 13 balls, caught off Ish Sodhi’s bowling. Abhishek then took complete control. He shared a match-winning, unbeaten 102-run partnership in just 40 balls with Suryakumar Yadav for the third wicket. Abhishek brought up a stunning half-century in just 14 balls, while Suryakumar reached his fifty off 25 deliveries.

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India raced to 155 for 2 in only 10 overs, registering a thumping win. Abhishek Sharma remained unbeaten on 68, while Suryakumar Yadav stayed not out on 57. With three consecutive wins, India clinched the series, making the remaining two matches inconsequential.