India captain Shreyas Iyer was left amazed by the extraordinary batting display from Abhishek Sharma and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi during the third T20I against New Zealand in Wellington on Tuesday, October 27. The opening pair dismantled the Kiwi bowling attack, helping India chase down a target of 199 runs in just 13.2 overs to secure a commanding six-wicket victory. With this win, India took an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match T20I series, with two matches still remaining.
Abhishek delivered a sensational performance, scoring 113 off just 38 balls, while teenage sensation Sooryavanshi contributed 45 runs off 19 deliveries. Together, they stitched a remarkable 133-run opening partnership in just 7.1 overs. New Zealand had posted 198/3 in their allotted 20 overs, with Daryl Mitchell leading the scoring with an unbeaten 89 off 52 balls. Finn Allen also made a valuable contribution with 40 runs, helping the hosts establish a competitive total.
However, India’s explosive opening partnership quickly turned the contest into a one-sided affair. Abhishek reached his half-century in only 15 deliveries before completing his fourth T20I century in 35 balls. Sooryavanshi matched his partner’s aggressive approach, attacking the New Zealand bowlers from the outset. India also created history by scoring 118 runs without losing a wicket in the first six overs, registering the highest powerplay total in men’s T20I cricket. The New Zealand bowlers struggled to contain the duo, who consistently found the boundary and cleared it with remarkable ease.
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India completed the chase with 40 balls remaining, recording one of the fastest successful chases of a target of at least 190 runs in T20 cricket. Among Full Member nations, the result established a new benchmark for the most balls remaining in a successful chase of 190 or more. The previous record belonged to India, who chased 209 against New Zealand in Raipur earlier in 2026 with 28 balls to spare. Estonia’s 192-run chase against Cyprus in 2024 remains the overall record, completed with 42 balls remaining.
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Shreyas was full of praise for the opening pair and admitted he was surprised by their remarkable scoring rate. “Absolutely stunning. It was pleasing to the eyes the way they played strokes. Also, when Sanju and I went to bat, the ball was seamless, and I was like, ‘How did they manage this?’ It was simply mind-boggling. Honestly speaking, getting 100 in 5 overs, I’ve never seen that before, especially at the international level. And definitely tops it,” Shreyas Iyer said.
The India captain also explained how his team approached New Zealand’s innings. After observing the ease with which the hosts attacked hard lengths and half-volleys, India’s bowlers focused on executing yorkers and wide yorkers to limit the scoring opportunities.
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“After 10 overs, I realized that anything they were bowling hard length or even half volleys was going into the stands. I just said to try and bowl yorkers as much as possible, even if you bowl six-ball yorkers,” he explained. “Make them hit down the ground, or a wide yorker is going to help us on this wicket. So, yeah, we were able to execute that and minimize that run rate to eight to nine; that helped us a lot to keep them at 10 runs and over. And yeah, our plan was to restrict them under 200.”
India’s historic victory highlighted the team’s aggressive batting approach, with Abhishek and Sooryavanshi producing a partnership that left even their captain searching for words.
