India moved to a 2-0 lead in the five-match T20I series against New Zealand after a commanding seven-wicket win at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Raipur on Friday. Chasing 209, the visitors never looked comfortable once Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav combined to produce a composed, clinical chase — finishing the job with 28 balls to spare.
Kishan’s 76 set the tone. The wicketkeeper-batter arrived under pressure after early blows to India’s top order — Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma both departed cheaply — but steadied the innings with an authoritative 122-run partnership alongside captain Suryakumar, who remained unbeaten on 82. The duo’s mix of caution early and controlled aggression after the powerplay turned the game in India’s favour.
Awarded Player of the Match, Ishan Kishan kept his post-game mood light when asked about pre-match routine. “Nothing special for lunch, I just had normal food,” he quipped. But his on-field comments revealed a more considered mindset. “I was focusing more on what I had to do today and being in a very good headspace for this game,” Kishan said, underlining the mental clarity that framed his innings.
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Tactically, India’s approach was clear: extract value from the powerplay without unnecessary risk. “We were looking not to take risks, not to go cross-batted, but I was still looking to score as many runs as possible in the powerplay,” Kishan explained. That calculated intent allowed India to keep the required run-rate manageable and capitalise as the innings progressed.
Sublime striking! 🔥
🎥 Ishan Kishan gets to his fifty in some style 👏
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Kishan also spoke about the confidence drawn from recent domestic form — a reminder that strong performances at home can translate immediately at the international level.
“Sometimes it’s important to do it for yourself, to answer your own questions about how you’re batting and whether you’re capable of playing for India,” he said. The knock seemed to do exactly that; he left with a clear answer to his own doubts.
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“Even if I got out, I just wanted to play good cricket,” Ishan Kishan added. That attitude — fearless but disciplined — was the hallmark of the chase, and with two wins from two, India will be buoyed by a middle order that now looks both deep and dependable as they eye the remainder of the series and the bigger tournaments ahead.
