India crush New Zealand by 7 wickets, take 2-0 lead in T20 series

Skipper Suryakumar Yadav returned to his destructive best with a scintillating unbeaten 82 off 37 balls as India thrashed New Zealand by seven wickets in the second T20 International to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the five-match series here on Friday.

Chasing a stiff target of 209 , India produced a fearless batting display to finish the contest with a remarkable 28 balls to spare , reaching 209 for 3 in just 15.2 overs .

The chase got off to a shaky start as India were reduced to 6 for 2 inside the second over, but Ishan Kishan counter-attacked brilliantly to swing momentum firmly in the hosts’ favour. The left-hander smashed a whirlwind 76 off 32 balls , peppering the boundaries with clean and powerful strokes.

Kishan found an ideal partner in Suryakumar, who dominated the New Zealand bowlers with his trademark 360-degree strokeplay. The Indian captain struck 10 fours and 4 sixes , dismantling the attack with ease and silencing any hopes of a comeback.

Shivam Dube added valuable impetus with a quick 36 off 18 balls , ensuring India never lost control of the chase.

Earlier, New Zealand rode on an explosive start from Rachin Ravindra , who hammered 44 off just 26 balls , as the visitors raced through the Powerplay. However, India’s bowlers staged a strong comeback in the middle overs, applying the brakes effectively.

Despite the slowdown, skipper Mitchell Santner played a vital hand at the death, remaining unbeaten on 47 off 27 balls to push New Zealand past the 200-run mark. Kuldeep Yadav was the pick of the Indian bowlers with figures of 2 for 35 .

With this emphatic victory, India extended their dominance after winning the series opener and now hold a commanding position in the five-match rubber.

Brief Scores:

New Zealand 208/6 in 20 overs (Rachin Ravindra 44, Mitchell Santner 47; Kuldeep Yadav 2/35) India 209/3 in 15.2 overs (Ishan Kishan 76, Suryakumar Yadav 82)