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Live sport on SN this weekendAbhishek fireworks fire India to series-clinching T20 triumph over NZ
AP • January 26th, 2026 8:03 am
Abhishek Sharma | Photo: AP
India have secured an unassailable 3-0 lead in their five-match Twenty20 series with New Zealand after opener Abhishek Sharma's explosive 68no off 20 balls set up a comprehensive eight-wicket victory in Guwahati.
Jasprit Bumrah (3-14) led India's tidy bowling display on Sunday as they restricted New Zealand to a modest 9-153 after the hosts elected to field at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium.
India, who will be defending their title at next month's T20 World Cup, then completed the chase in just 10 overs with Abhishek leading the charge and skipper Suryakumar Yadav making 57 not out off 26 balls.
Abhishek's 14-ball fifty, which included five sixes, was the second-fastest by an Indian -- behind only Yuvraj Singh's 12-ball half-century against England in the 2007 T20 World Cup.
Suryakumar needed only 25 balls to bring up his second successive fifty of the series.
Earlier, Hardik Pandya took a stunning catch to remove Devon Conway and dismissed Rachin Ravindra with his second ball as New Zealand slumped to 2-13 in the first 10 deliveries of their innings.
New Zealand's Matt Henry getting run out by Jasprit Bumrah | Photo: AP
Bumrah's first delivery then sent Tim Seifert's off-stump cartwheeling.
Glenn Phillips (48) and Mark Chapman (32) halted the slide with a stand of 52 before spinner Ravi Bishnoi removed both batters to put India back in charge.
Kyle Jamieson lost his leg stump to Bumrah, who, operating as the second-change bowler, also claimed the wicket of New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner (27).
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Matt Henry bowled Sanju Samson for a duck with his first ball when New Zealand came out to defend their below-par total on a high-scoring ground, but Ishan Kishan (28) hit the bowler for back-to-back sixes and followed up with a four.
Abhishek struck the first ball he faced, from Jacob Duffy, for six to signal India's attacking intent despite the early loss of Samson.
Kishan fell immediately after India had passed the 50-mark in the fourth over but Abhishek and Suryakumar plundered 22 runs from a Duffy over as India reached 100 in the seventh over.
The fourth game is in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday.
