India tore through the Wellington pitch, reaching 202/4 in just 13.2 overs to clinch a 6‑wicket victory over New Zealand, sealing a 3‑0 series win.
Abhishek Sharma’s 113 off 38 balls, with 11 sixes and 9 fours, was the engine that turned the match. He struck a half‑century in 15 deliveries, then a century in just 35 balls, sending the crowd into a frenzy.
The opening partnership of 133 in seven overs, powered by 45 off 18 from 15‑year‑old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, gave India a 118‑run powerplay – the highest first‑six‑over total in a T20I.
Even after Daryl Mitchell’s unbeaten 89 from 52 balls, India’s batsmen dismantled the New Zealand bowlers, leaving the hosts scrambling. Aakash Chopra’s earlier tweet about a 170‑plus target being tough sparked a flurry of online backlash, but the match proved his prediction was off the mark.
India will face New Zealand in the final T20I on Thursday, with the series still on the line.