India produced a stunning batting performance against New Zealand in the third T20 International on October 27, 2026, as Abhishek Sharma and young opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi led a record-breaking chase of 199 runs.
New Zealand posted 198/3 in their allotted 20 overs after India captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and elected to bowl first. Daryl Mitchell was the standout performer for the visitors, finishing unbeaten on 89 from 52 deliveries.
India’s reply began with an explosive opening partnership. Abhishek Sharma and Sooryavanshi smashed 118 runs during the powerplay, setting a new record for the highest powerplay total in a match between Full Member nations.
Sooryavanshi made a rapid 45 off just 19 balls before departing, but Abhishek continued his assault on the New Zealand bowling attack. The left-handed batter hammered 113 runs from only 38 deliveries, delivering one of the most remarkable innings of his T20I career.
The century was Abhishek’s fourth in T20 internationals and his 11th overall in the T20 format. According to the supplied match report, the achievement also took him past Virat Kohli’s record for the most centuries in T20 cricket.
India entered the match with a 2-0 lead in the five-match series, having won the first two encounters. The victory in the third T20I secured the series for India and continued their strong recent record against New Zealand in bilateral T20I cricket.
The performance highlighted India’s aggressive approach in the shortest format and underlined Abhishek’s growing reputation as a destructive T20 batter.
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