logo
Abhishek Sharma's Century Leads India to Series Sweep Against New Zealand in 3rd T20I
Amir Azimi
Cricket

Abhishek Sharma's Century Leads India to Series Sweep Against New Zealand in 3rd T20I

Abhishek Sharma smashed an electrifying 113 off just 38 balls, powering India to a dominant victory over New Zealand in the third T20I at Wellington's Sky Stadium. Chasing a challenging target of 199, India raced to the total and secured a 3-0 lead in the five-match series.

New Zealand Post a Strong Total

After winning the toss, India chose to field first. New Zealand recovered quickly from the early loss of Tim Seifert for 2, finishing their innings at 198/3. Daryl Mitchell anchored the innings with an unbeaten 89 from 52 balls, including five fours and five sixes. He combined with Finn Allen (40 off 25) to put on an 86-run partnership before joining Bevon Jacobs (39* off 23) in a rapid 75-run unbeaten fourth-wicket stand, adding 42 runs in the last four overs.

For India, Arshdeep Singh, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Axar Patel each claimed one wicket.

India’s Chase Dominated by Sharma and Sooryavanshi

The Indian openers tore through New Zealand’s bowling during the Powerplay. Abhishek Sharma and 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi combined for a record 133-run opening stand in just 7.1 overs. They amassed 118 runs inside the first six overs, overwhelming the Kiwi attack. Sharma struck nine fours and eleven sixes at a staggering strike rate of 297.36, reaching a century to effectively end the contest.

Though Matthew Fisher and Kyle Jamieson eventually dismissed both openers, India had already reached 178/2 after 10 overs. The match ended with India winning by six wickets with 40 balls remaining.

Key Moments and Player Performances

  • Opening Partnership: Abhishek Sharma 113 (38 balls), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 45 (19 balls)
  • New Zealand Top Scorers: Daryl Mitchell 89* (52 balls), Finn Allen 40 (25 balls), Bevon Jacobs 39* (23 balls)
  • Indian Wickets: Shreyas Iyer and Sanju Samson were dismissed but their wickets came too late to impact the result.

Match Progression Details

  • After 6 overs: India 118/0, smashing 44 runs off two overs from Jacob Duffy alone.
  • After 10 overs: India 178/2, needing just 21 runs from the remaining 10 overs.
  • New Zealand Innings After 20 overs: 198/3, with 42 runs coming in the final four overs without losing a wicket.
  • New Zealand Innings After 16 overs: 156/3, led by Daryl Mitchell's unbeaten 70.
  • New Zealand Innings After 10 overs: 100/2, Mitchell scoring 43 off 23 balls.
  • Powerplay for New Zealand: 58/1 after six overs, with Finn Allen and Daryl Mitchell scoring freely.

Team Lineups

  • New Zealand XI: Finn Allen, Tim Seifert (wk), Bevon Jacobs, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Matthew Fisher, Kyle Jamieson, Adam Milne, Jacob Duffy
  • India XI: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma, Naman Dhir, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Prince Yadav, Arshdeep Singh

Win Probability and Betting Odds

  • New Zealand Win Probability: 0%
  • India Win Probability: 100%
  • Betting Odds: India favored at 1.74, New Zealand at 2.06 (subject to change)

Related Articles