India have won their fifth and final bilateral series T20I clash against New Zealand comfortably by 46 runs.
Batting first after winning the toss, the Men in Blue suffered a few early setbacks, first in the form of Sanju Samson, who had yet another lean outing.
Abhishek Sharma showed spark but got out not too long afterwards. From then on, it was Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav, who stitched a 137-run partnership to put India on track for a mammoth total.
Ishan Kishan Smashes Maiden T20I Ton
Ishan Kishan, making a comeback to the national side for the first time since the ICC World Cup in 2023, has impressed greatly in this series.
However, tonight was his best, as he smashed his first-ever century in T20 international cricket, dealing in boundaries even against the most experienced Kiwi bowlers.
Kishan struck 6 fours and 10 sixes in his 43-ball 103-run inning. He was even given the duty of wicket keeping later on, replacing Sanju Samson behind the stumps.
Notably, Suryakumar Yadav partnered Ishan Kishan with a 30-ball 63. Finishing touches from Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, and Shivam Dube then saw India through to a massive score of 271-5 in 20 overs.
New Zealand Falter After Solid Start
New Zealand had an uphill task at their hand, chasing 272 in 160 deliveries.
That said, the way they started almost gave the Men in Blue a run for their money. Finn Allen particularly impressed with a 38-ball 80-run inning, but when he was gone, no one else could put up a strong fight.
Wickets tumbled regularly, as Arshdeep Singh, who was thrashed in the Power Play, came back to take a five-wicket haul.
New Zealand were eventually bowled out on 225 in the final over of the match, putting an end to the IND vs NZ T20I series with a 4-1 result.
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