Batting first, India stumbled at the start. Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan were quickly dismissed and the score stood at 2 for 25 runs. But then young opener Abhishek Sharma took control of the match. He played a blistering innings of 84 runs off just 35 balls, which included eight sixes. His batting turned the whole match around.

After debuting, Hardik Pandya, captain Suryakumar Yadav and Rinku Singh continued to score runs. Especially in the last overs, Rinku Singh’s unbeaten 44 took India to a big score. India scored 238 for 7 in the allotted 20 overs, which became a tough target for New Zealand.

Chasing the target, New Zealand also fell into trouble early on. Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra returned quickly. Although Glenn Phillips played a brilliant innings of 78 off 40 balls, defeat could not be avoided. India’s bowlers picked up wickets at crucial times. Varun Chakraborty took two wickets and Shivam Dubey got a crucial breakthrough in the death overs.

After the match, captain Suryakumar Yadav expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance. He said, the team is progressing well with eight batting options and three strike bowlers. Despite a few catches in the fielding, he stood by his teammates and expressed hope for future improvement. All in all, this win was an important confidence-boosting step for India.

With only four matches left before the T20 World Cup 2026, this impressive win has given Team India captain Suryakumar Yadav a lot of confidence. “I mean, it’s good to see. It’s working for me as a team, and if it’s working, then it should continue,” said Suryakumar Yadav after the match.